


In Lifetimes Before

by Sachiela



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Collection for Klance Trope Month, M/M, Pretty much all of this is going to be fluff, See each chapter for appropriate tags and ratings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 22,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachiela/pseuds/Sachiela
Summary: My collection of one-shots for the Monthly Klance - Trope Month prompt list.https://twitter.com/monthlyklance/status/1252721146631319552Let the cute begin!
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 166
Kudos: 70





	1. Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

> Story title from "This I Promise You" by N*SYNC
> 
> Chapter 1: Meet Cute  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 1284  
> Tags: Cute, fluff, college AU, Oblivious Keith, dorks getting feelings.  
> Summary: Based on the meet cute prompt found here: <https://meetcuteprompts.tumblr.com/post/99681445062/13-the-meet-cute>, Keith is stuck for inspiration on his senior show pieces and finds it, in all places, from the annoying clerk at the corner store.

Keith has been struggling for days on what to create for his main piece for his senior show. No matter what he tries to do, nothing feels right. And he’s been getting questions from all of his professors about how he’s doing. He gets that they’re trying to help, but he really wants them to just lay off for a bit.

With nothing else to do and feeling a little hungry, he goes to the local corner shop to get some snacks. Maybe a change of scenery will get things moving again. 

Grabbing a basket at the door, he fills it with a couple energy drinks and protein bars, throwing in a bag of sour gummy worms for something sweet-ish. 

He wanders the aisles a little longer to see if anything catches his eye, but nothing stands out, so he makes his way up to the register. It’s late enough that there’s no line, so he places his basket on the counter and steps over to the card reader. 

“Breakfast of champions right here,” the clerk says, causing Keith to jerk his head up.

“Excuse me?” he asks, more confused than anything. Though that also might be in part that this is the cutest person he’s seen in ages with the brightest blue eyes.

The clerk grins. “Just saying, we’re not even at finals yet. Try not to kill yourself with all-nighters until then? Be nice to make it to graduation.”

Keith flushes and scowls. Cute or not, where did this guy get off judging someone like that? He’s been _taking care of himself_ just fine for years without anyone’s help, _thank you very much_.

“All right, all right,” the clerk says, reading off the total and finishing bagging up everything as Keith inserts his card and keys in his pin with a little more force than necessary. 

He takes the bag with a muttered thanks and makes the mistake of looking up just as the clerk gives him the cheesiest finger guns and a wink. “See you around, sourpuss.”

Cheeks burning, Keith does the totally mature thing and sticks his tongue out before leaving, heart racing and cheeks burning for reasons he doesn’t care to look into.

When he’s back in his dorm and settled, however, he feels himself itching for a pencil in paper for the first time in weeks. It’s not until he’s nearly done with the third sketch that he realizes that he’s been drawing the clerk this whole time.

Well, fuck.

*~*~*~*

The piece he creates as his main for his show isn’t _directly_ based on the clerk, per se, but...the shade of blue Keith used most can probably be found in the clerk’s eyes. His professors approve and he’s given the go-ahead to create a whole series around the piece to use for his show, but...he’s not sure what else to make yet. He poured every bit of inspiration he’d been given into that piece. 

Rather than sulking in his room again all weekend, Keith gathers up his sketchbook and case of pencils. It’s a lovely weekend, probably the last one before the fall chill sets in, and Keith has always found it peaceful to just sketch the world around him on days like this. Nothing else works better to clear his mind.

He finds a good spot in the shade by the library, unwilling to risk a sunburn, and pulls out his supplies.

In the middle of a sketch of the lion statue at the center of the quad, he’s startled out of his trance when an oddly familiar voice shouts, “Hey, sourpuss!”

Keith looks up and freezes when he realizes that it’s the store clerk, the one that finally gave him inspiration. He opens and closes his mouth, not sure what to say, but decides that raising his hand in a small wave will be good enough.

The clerk grins and takes that as all the invitation he needs to sit next to him on the bench. His eyes are still horribly bright up close. “Hey, man, was wondering when I might see you around campus again. Good to see that you’re still kicking.”

What is he even supposed to say to that? “I...yeah, I guess?”

The clerk chuckles and holds out his hand. “Lance. We had a couple gen-ed classes together freshman year. Keith, right?”

Keith shakes his hand, feeling off-kilter, suddenly itching to paint again. “Yeah, umm...sorry, Lance. I don’t think I remember you.”

Lance sighs loudly and flops back on the bench, appearing wounded. “I kinda figured, after seeing you at my work. We sat next to each other in one of those classes, too! Like, yeah, there were probably three hundred other students, but _still_. Not gonna lie, I was kinda pissed at you second semester. You blew right past me when I tried to say hi. Figured you thought you were too good for me or something.”

“Wh-what? No, I...why would you even think that?” God, this is just what Shiro had warned him about, hadn’t he? His first year, he’d avoided any and every conversation he could, finding it easier to get by without any connections, not wanting to deal with the pain when those connections inevitably broke. He likes to think he’s gotten a little better since then, but maybe not as much as he’d hoped.

“Because you wouldn’t talk to anyone? What were we supposed to think?” Lance offers, raising an eyebrow. “But, really, man, don’t worry about it. You’ve just proven to me you’re as awkward as the rest of us. Promise there’s no hard feelings.”

Keith narrows his eyes at the other’s grin. “You’re teasing me.”

That startles a laugh out of Lance and, _god_ , Keith wants to go paint. But how long would this bout of inspiration last before it dries up again? Enough to get him through his senior show? And even if it did that much, what then? 

How does he get this inspiration to stick?

“Hey, so, I actually wanted to ask...if you’re not doing anything this afternoon, wanna hang out with me and my friends? It’s nothing serious, all low-key. We just like to hang out and order in a pizza and either chat or play some video games together, if that sounds good?”

Keith startles at the offer, not having expected it at all. He bites his lip. “I...I’d like to, but I’m not very good at video games.”

Another chuckle, and Keith almost darts away just to soothe this itch to paint--and to escape the sudden rush of butterflies in his stomach. “Not gonna lie, I kinda figured, but you don’t actually have to play. Hunk doesn’t either. He just watches us and works on other stuff, so you’d fit right in.”

“That sounds really great, actually,” Keith replies. He’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially not if this is the universe’s way of answering his previous question. “You cool if I go grab a few more things from my room first?” How many art supplies would be considered too many to bring?

Lance nods. “Yeah, Hunk and I are on the third floor, same building as you, actually. We’ll leave our door open, so just come by whenever you’re ready.”

Wow, he hadn’t realized he was _that_ unobservant. “Sounds good, I’ll be there soon.”

Grinning, Lance gives him a quick pat on the back before darting off to join two others on the quad. They both wave to him and he waves shyly back before starting to pack up his supplies. 

He’s got an inspiration to keep, after all. And maybe, if he’s lucky, something else, too?


	2. Rivals to Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Rivals to Lovers  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 861  
> Tags: Video games, Garrison Trio, Silly, Some video game violence?, Lance is oblivious until he's not, Cute, Sweet.  
> Summary: Lance starts playing a video game at the request of Hunk and Pidge to team up together. While playing, he runs into SeeingRed and their rivalry is born. It's not long, though, before it turns into something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Note: I don’t play games like this at all, so I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve had a friend look this over to make sure it at least makes some sense, I hope. Any mistakes/discrepancies are mine.)
> 
> Thank you to my buddy, Mars, for letting me use his screen name for Keith.

Lance first starts playing when Pidge and Hunk ask him to be their ranged shooter, needing someone to be able to cover then when they go in for the package. He’d always been good at shooting anything, in games and real life, so he figured why not. 

He never imagined he’d have this much fun with it. 

It’s been months since that first game when he initially struggled a little to learn the controls, now pressing buttons almost instinctively to take out targets and protect his team. It’s fun and exhilarating and their team begins to slowly climb up the ranks, much to their shock and delight. 

Of course, it’s not like they win every game. Sometimes the other team gets lucky, or is simply just _better_ , but they shake it off and move on to the next match without any fuss. 

At least, until _he_ showed up.

Lance is getting his bearings after the initial spawn when he’s suddenly dropped. He makes a noise of outrage and confusion over his headset when he sees “BlueStar killed by SeeingRed” on his screen. 

Who the hell does something like that?

“Dude, Red, what the hell was that?” he says, not expecting an answer.

There’s some commotion from his teammates before he hears a deep voice reply, “What? Can’t handle it, Blue?”

Oh, it’s _on_.

Lance makes it his personal mission through the rest of the match to hunt down Keith whenever he gets a chance, getting some of his best headshots to date. And it’s more than worth it when he hears Red’s grumble of frustration every time.

Then, just before the match is over, Red manages to find his hideout and stabs him. Which, okay, he probably had that coming after the fourth kill shot. That doesn’t stop him from screeching over the headset until Pidge shouts for him to shut up. 

*~*~*~*

After that, it becomes almost a competition between the two of them any time they happen to be in a match together. SeeingRed’s never on the same team twice, but any time Lance sees that name in the roster, it becomes his personal mission to take him out, despite how much his friends yell at him to focus and _help them_. 

“Lance, will you cut it out with your weird-ass foreplay and _cover us_ like you’re supposed to?” Pidge shouts at him during one such match. 

Biting his lip, Lance makes another shot clean through the back of Red’s head and then turns to help his friends. He’s probably got another minute before Red respawns and manages to find him again. “It’s not foreplay, you gremlin. I’m defending my honor over here.”

“Okay, _Zuko_ , but if we lose this match because of you, I’m coming over to wring your neck.”

Almost exactly a minute later, he hears Red say, “Lance, huh?” followed by the text on his screen once more, “BlueStar killed by SeeingRed.”

Flushing for reasons he doesn’t want to think about just yet, Lance smirks. “Yeah, and? You gonna tell me your name, Rojito?”

“Keith.”

They lose the match, only barely, but Lance can’t help but think it wasn’t a complete loss.

*~*~*~*

Of course, then everything gets flipped on its head. 

Really, it was only a matter of time. While Pidge, Hunk, and Lance always made sure to play together, their other teammates were often random, filled in by the system when other friends couldn’t join them. 

SeeingRed’s name shows up again on screen, but it’s not on the usual side. No. this time it’s right under BlueStar. 

“Wait, what? Rojito, you’re on our team?”

“Looks like.”

Hunk butts in this time. “Can you two call a truce for now? No friendly fire, please?”

It would hurt their score to do that anyway, so Lance sighs loudly, more making a show of it than anything. “Fine, fine, I suppose I can play nice.”

Keith’s chuckle comes over the headset and Lance feels himself flushing again. “Think you can follow my lead?”

Grinning now, because that feels like a challenge in a whole different way, Lance settles his controller comfortably in his hands. “I got your back, team leader.”

Murmurs of agreement come from Pidge and Hunk and then they’re off for the start of the match. And, in all honesty, it’s the best match they’ve ever played. Keith fits in with them seamlessly, filling in the gap that the three friends hadn’t realized they’d had until they win the match with a record score. 

“Holy shit,” Lance murmurs as he stares at the screen.

“Dude! _Dude!_ That was awesome! Oh my god, you have _got_ to join us more often,” Pidge shouts. “Do you want to permanently join our team?”

Keith sputters for a second and Lance can’t help but think it’s cute. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, man, if you want to, we’d love to have you. We worked so well together,” Hunk adds, his smile audible. “Right, Lance?”

“I...yeah. Yeah, that’d be great.” Because they had worked well together. “We make a pretty good team.”

“I’d like that,” Keith replies softly and Lance feels his heart jump up into his throat.

Well, _shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it didn't get quiet to "Lovers" at the end of this one, but it felt like a good place to end and more would just be dragging it out. Just assume that they eventually realize they're in the same town and arrange a meetup with all four of them (and Keith's brother, who is worried about him meeting up with strangers alone), and it's not long after that that Keith and Lance start dating.


	3. Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: Fake Dating  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 1078  
> Tags: Fake dating, pining, mild angst?, Keith is bad at feelings, Keith panics and Lance makes it better.  
> Summary: When an offer is made to strengthen an alliance with a planet with a marriage between one of their nobles and the Black Paladin, Keith freezes. Thankfully, Lance is able to get him out of it without risking offending anyone.

Keith feels his joints lock up, preparing to fight or flight, but he can’t fight a _projection_ and there’s _nowhere to run_.

“I beg your pardon,” Allura replies smoothly, frowning ever so slightly. 

“It is tradition for our people to complete an alliance with a bond, whether it be between planets or whole systems. For an alliance such as this, we would ask that your team leader, the black paladin, I believe, bond with one of our nobility. Of course, he would be free to choose among those whom he desires.”

He’s never even _dated_ anyone before. A few casual hookups, sure, but he’d thought he’d at least get to date someone for a _bit_ before the idea of _marriage_ was brought to the table. 

Allura’s sending him warning looks, he’s sure, and Lance is probably worried, but he’s doing everything he can to keep himself from just screaming _‘No’_ and darting out of the room. 

“I’m sure there’s something--” Allura starts to say, but stops when Lance clears his throat.

The blue paladin (regardless of which lions they all fly, Lance will always be _blue_ to him) steps forward with relaxed shoulders and slips his hand into Keith’s. “That’s a little bit rude, isn’t it? To ask someone to get married when they’re dating someone else.”

Keith’s hand clenches Lance’s reflexively, and suddenly _Lance_ is the only thing keeping him from bolting even as his face heats up, moving his gaze to the floor to not give anything away. 

His heart may be trying to pound out of his chest, but he at least has the sense to not speak up and ruin whatever Lance has planned. And if he takes a small step closer to Lance, well, that will only help Lance’s claim, right?

The queen is silent for a moment and Keith fears looking back up, not wanting to see her expression. “My apologies,” she says quickly, “I hadn’t realized….of course we would never want to come between a bond that was already forming out of mutual affection simply for politics.”

“That’s us,” Lance says with a grin that Keith can _hear_. “Full of mutual affection over here. We’ve just kept it quiet for the most part since it’s new and all. You understand, I’m sure?”

Keith wants to step on Lance’s foot for the horrible start to that.

“Of course, of course. A new flame must be tended to carefully if it’s expected to grow,” the queen replies, voice soft. Keith risks a peek up and sees that she’s smiling at them. 

The conversation is steered away from the two of them finally and Keith begins to relax, even if he can’t bring himself to let go of Lance’s hand when the video call ends. Allura and Lance let out matching sighs of relief.

“Oh, thank god that worked. I wasn’t sure if she’d believe me,” Lance murmurs. 

Allura turns to the both of them with a slight smile. “Thank you for that, Lance. While building the coalition is important, I never would want to do it by sacrificing any of your chances at real happiness.” She pauses. “The war has already taken enough from us already.”

The blue paladin shakes his head. “Don’t worry too much about it, Princess. No forced weddings happening today, yeah?”

She smiles again and gives them both a gentle pat on the shoulder on her way out, mentioning that Hunk should have lunch ready soon. 

It isn’t until the door shuts that Keith realizes that Lance is _still holding his hand_. 

Even though every part of him is screaming in regret, he pulls away, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “Lance, why did you...you didn’t have to do that.”

“Hey,” Lance replies softly, silent until Keith looks up at him. “I promise this isn’t a problem for me, okay? I’m always gonna have your back, samurai, even with things like this. You’re not alone out here. Trust me, it’s gonna be fine.’

“I trust you, Lance,” Keith whispers before biting his cheek. 

What an understatement.

*~*~*~*

Despite the fact that Lance had clearly stated they were keeping it quiet, it’s not even a full movement before news of their “relationship” spreads through the whole coalition. And Keith...doesn’t know what to do with that.

Lance seems to be taking it in stride, finding it easy to take Keith’s hand or wrap an arm around his waist when talking with dignitaries from other planets, seemingly mindless to the fact that every time he does so, Keith feels like he could implode inside. 

He finally can’t take any more and pulls Lance into an empty room down one of the halls from the bridge. “I really appreciate what you’re doing, but I think we should stop. This...this isn’t fair to you.”

The blue paladin leans against the wall and tucks his hands into his pockets, posture relaxed. Almost like he’d been expecting this conversation. “While we could do a public breakup, wouldn’t that just leave you back at square one, with that planet asking for you to marry one of their people for the alliance?”

“That’s not...this isn’t about me, Lance,” Keith tries again, frustration coloring his voice more than he wants it to. “This is about you. You can’t...this can’t be what you want. How are you going to find the person you want to be with if everyone thinks you’re with me?” Because Lance had always gone on about finding Mrs. Blue Lion, though...that had stopped since the lion switch, hadn’t it? Unless it's changed to Mrs. Red Lion and Keith hadn’t noticed?

“I’ve already found the person I want to be with.”

Keith’s head snaps up. What? He’d…but... “But then why did you let them think you were dating _me_?”

Finally stepping away from the wall, Lance gets close enough that Keith has to tip his head back to meet his eyes, finding them sparkling even as his darker skin flushes enough to make his freckles stand out. “Because I’d already found you. I just hadn’t worked up the courage to tell you yet.”

“Oh.”

He should probably say more than that, shouldn’t he?

“Me, too.” Fuck, that would have to be enough.

Lance grins and holds his hand out. “So, what do you say?”

And, really, what else could he possibly do but take this beautiful boy’s hand? “Say to what?”

“Let’s give those gossips something real to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely one of those pieces that could have grown into way too much.
> 
> And sorry, not sorry for the song reference at the end.


	4. Touch Starved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4: Touch Starved  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 893  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, hurt/comfort-ish vibes?, Lance trying to be a respectful boyfriend, set sometime loosely in canon.  
> Summary: Lance finally gets Keith alone so they can just spend some time together, like boyfriends should, but then Keith tenses when Lance absently wraps an arm around him.

While Keith and Lance had started dating a few weeks ago, this was the first time since that initial confession that they’ve had any time to be alone together, given how busy they’ve been with saving the universe and all. Every time Lance had tried to see if they could get some time alone, the sirens would go off, or there would be another training to complete, or a meeting to get through, or just the others wanting to spend time together.

Not that he could begrudge anyone for that last one. He loves spending time with all of them together, too. 

But Hunk and Pidge are off building something new, while Shiro, Allura, and Coran are working on...something for strategy, Lance assumes.

Either way, it leaves things completely open for him and Keith to just hang out. 

Lance catches his boyfriend (and, _Dios_ , does that thought make his heart skip) just before he goes off to train alone or something and invites him to watch something together, just them. Keith blushes slightly, which is way too cute, and agrees. They could go almost anywhere in the castle to watch a movie, especially with the mini projector Hunk and Pidge had built some movements ago, but Lance leads them to his room, wanting something more cozy and familiar for them to settle into, and less likely to worry about any of the others interrupting them. 

Once everything is set up and the movie is playing, they sit in silence on Lance’s bed, side by side. Well, at least for a little bit. While the plot itself isn’t _overly_ hard to follow, the language barrier makes it less appealing. It’s not long at all before the movie is all but forgotten as they start chatting. 

“Okay, but seriously, Hunk’s whole family are, like, wizards in the kitchen,” Lance says, gesturing for emphasis. “His moms sent this banana bread back to the Garrison with him after the winter holidays and I was thinking, okay, it’s banana bread, nothing too special. But he warmed up a slice and got some melted butter on it, and...wow. I swear, I saw baby Jesus.”

Keith chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Not just Jesus, but _baby Jesus?_ ” 

Scoffing, Lance gives him a playful shove. “Hey, hun, you’ll see. As soon as we’re back, I bet we can ask them to make us some and you’ll understand.”

“I’d like that,” Keith replies with a soft smile, and Lance’s heart goes all gooey. 

He wraps an arm around Keith’s back and is about to go on about all the different foods he can’t wait to have when they get back to Earth when he feels Keith go completely stiff next to him.

What would have--?

Oh.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I should have asked first if--”

Keith shakes his head. “No. No, it’s okay. You can put your arm back. I just...wasn’t expecting it."

Watching his boyfriend carefully, Lance places his arm back where it was, hand resting on his waist. He frowns when Keith tenses again. “Are you sure, sweetheart? You don’t have to force yourself for me.”

He knows he’s the touchy-feely type, same as he knows not everyone else is. Everyone has their own comfort levels with contact and he would never want to push people beyond them, especially someone he’s dating. 

“I...I’m just not used to...” Keith starts, blush spreading across his face.

Lance doesn’t know if he should back away or hold Keith tighter at this point. His instincts are conflicting all over the place. “Keith, you’re _shaking_.”

Turning even more red, Keith ducks his head, which makes it harder for Lance to try to guess what he should do. “I know, but I swear you’re not hurting me or making me uncomfortable. I’m just... _really_ not used to it.”

Giving a moment for that reply to turn around in Lance’s mind for a bit, he ventures a guess. “When was the last time someone actually touched you like this, in a friendly way?”

Keith shrugs. “Beyond the occasional hug or pat on the back from Shiro? Not since my dad…”

“Oh, hun…”

“Don’t you dare start pitying me,” Keith snaps, finally looking back up, eyebrows furrowed, but his gaze is more ashamed than angry. 

Lance shakes his head with a small hint of laughter. “I won’t, I won’t. Promise. Are you sure this is still okay, though? I won’t be offended if you need me to back off or anything.”

“Yeah it’s fine,” Keith replies, leaning more into Lance’s side even though he’s still not relaxing completely. “I’ll tell you if it gets to be too much.”

Taking a moment to shift them slightly so they’ll be more comfortable in the long run, Lance nuzzles his cheek against Keith’s hair. “I’ll hold you to that.”

*~*~*~*

Of course, Lance eventually learns that it’s never too much for Keith. In fact, his boyfriend is usually the one to track him down and all but demand cuddles when he gets comfortable enough. (No, wait, there was that one time he _did_ demand, pouting so cutely that Lance didn’t even have a chance to put up any resistance,)

Pidge initially tries to rag on them for excessive PDA, but even she leaves it be when she sees just how happy Keith looks, curled up against Lance’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I don't always say it, but comments are certainly appreciated! Please let me know what you think.


	5. Pining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5: Pining  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 867  
> Tags: Pining, Pining!Keith, cute, fluff, college au, smitten boys.  
> Summary: Keith has been infatuated with Lance for ages, and the chance to see Lance is the only reason he agrees to go with Pidge to the small party across campus, even though he insists it's for Hunk's cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day late as yesterday was my wife's birthday and we spent the evening celebrating that. Though we both thought the word on her birthday was amusing as hell, considering she pined after me for several years during college.

“You should come with me,” Pidge says, not for the first time, when mentioning the small party that’s being held across campus. 

Keith frowns at her, not even bothering to lift his head from where he’s sprawled across his bed. “You know I’m not really the party type. Hell, _you’re_ not usually the party type more than me.”

“Yeah, well, this is actually people I know, like Hunk, and Hunk will be _cooking_ , which is honestly more than enough reason for either of us to go.”

Giving a moment to think that over, as Hunk’s cooking is usually enough to get him interested, it just doesn’t feel like enough to get him motivated to get up and _socialize_. Not unless--

“And if Hunk is there, you _know_ Lance is going to be there.”

Keith glares. He never should have told Pidge about his infatuation with Hunk’s best friend. 

While he and Lance hadn’t gotten off to the best start their freshman year, that was all water under the bridge now two years later. They probably could be considered casual friends, given that their best friends hang out all the time, if it weren’t for the stupid feelings that Keith had caught along the way. 

And, yeah, he knows he may _technically_ have a chance with the lanky boy, considering gender doesn’t play a role in the people that Lance is attracted to, but he also knows Lance has a preference for _beautiful_ people, which...he’s not. At least not to Lance. Especially since Lance has had no issues teasing him about his hair multiple times. 

But Lance will likely be at the party. And Keith is a sucker for punishing himself by taunting himself with what he knows he can’t have. 

He lets out a huff and sits up slowly, refusing to meet Pidge’s eye and the smirk he _knows_ will be on her face. He considers what he’s wearing and figures that it’s fine. Pidge’s clothes are just as casual and it’s a party with other college kids. Not like it would be anything fancy. At least he knows that his clothes are freshly washed, which is better than he can say about some of his fellow floormates.

Brushing his hair quickly, since it had become a touch ratty while he was laying down, he puts it up in a small ponytail, letting his bangs and a few strands too short to be tied back to hang freely around his face.

Definitely can’t say it’s a mullet now.

“I’m just going because Hunk’s food is always better than whatever they’re serving in the cafeteria tonight.”

Pidge follows him out of the room and waits for him to lock it with a snicker. “Keep telling yourself that.”

*~*~*~*

Keith spots Lance immediately, ignoring the playful (painful) pointy jab in his side. He pushes Pidge off so she can go find Hunk and claims a free spot of wall to lean against and people watch. 

Okay, just _Lance_ watch.

The party is small, like Pidge had said, which is good and bad. It’s easier for him to actually see Lance, but it’s harder to keep himself from being seen.

As if to prove his point, not even five minutes after he’d arrived, Lance seems to notice he’s here, too, and smiles at him. 

Fuck, he’s not going to be able to eat any of Hunk’s amazing cooking if his stomach is filled with butterflies. 

Lance finishes up whatever conversation he’d been having with Romelle and then joins Keith, who has to work not to swallow his tongue and actually talk like a normal person.

Thankfully Pidge swings by a moment later with a drink for him, so at least he has something to do with his hands as he and Lance go through some sort of small talk, the usual complaining about workloads and professors. 

“Hey, a little random I know, but do you have any plans for your birthday next week?” Lance asks, as if it were completely normal to slip that into their conversation. 

Keith feels his face burning slightly and fights to keep his tone casual. “You remembered my birthday?”

Lance chuckles. “I feel like I should be insulted. Of course I remembered your birthday.”

God, his heart needs to stop skipping now, or he’s probably going to have to get it checked out. “No, I...well, I don’t have any plans. Shiro and Adam usually treat me to dinner or something, so I guess that?” He cringes inwardly at how awkward he sounds.

“If they do dinner, could I maybe take you out to lunch? Or dessert after dinner?” Lance asks, his smile suddenly turning shy.

What...what is this? “You mean...like a date?” Keith asks, needing to get this cleared up right now before he gets his hopes up for nothing at all. He waits to hear Lance tease him, but it never happens.

“If that’s okay?”

Oh.

If that’s okay? _Seriously_? Keith wants to shake Lance by the shoulders and shout at how far gone he is, but clings to his drink and nods, Lance’s smile sending those butterflies traveling from stomach to tingling all over his body. “Yeah. That’d be great.”


	6. There's Only One Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6: There's Only One Bed  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 576  
> Tags: Fluff, sweet, mild pining on both sides, visiting Cuba, sharing a bed.  
> Summary: When Lance had invited Keith to join him in Cuba for a week as a small vacation from their hectic lives cleaning up the last of the fringes of the Galra empire, he hadn’t expected, well, this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to do a slight twist to the normal expectation of bed sharing and have some fun.

When Lance had invited Keith to join him in Cuba for a week as a small vacation from their hectic lives cleaning up the last of the fringes of the Galra empire, he hadn’t expected, well, _this_.

“Hey, Mama,” he greets, giving his mom a tight hug because he’d missed her that much, only stepping back so she could give Keith the same treatment. “Is the guest bedroom ready for Keith? I thought we’d drop our bags off and then spend some time on the beach before everyone gets back.”

Gabriela frowns at Lance and he feels confused. “Sorry, _mijo_ , but your _abuela_ is in the guest room right now. She’s staying with us for the time being.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I can pull out the old air mattress, then.”

She laughs this time and shakes her head. “We tossed that thing out months ago, too many holes to even try to patch up.”

Lance bites his lip and looks over at Keith. Well, he can at least make the trip still relaxing for his friend. He doesn’t mind roughing it in his own house. “Sorry, man. You can have my bed, no worries. I can take the couch or something.”

Gabriela clicks her tongue at them. “Nonsense, _mijo_ , your bed is big enough for you both.” She shakes her head. “You’re both so _skinny_. Don’t either of you eat while up in space?”

Now he knows that she’s teasing, given that Hunk is with them, there’s no way they could be eating better unless she suddenly decided to travel with them. Which, no. That’s--no. Way too dangerous for his mom. “Mama, what?”

“We got you a new bed after your last visit. You were too tall for your old one anyway.”

Curious now, he gives his mom one last hug before leading the way to his room, hearing Keith follow.

And, yeah, that’s a full-sized mattress instead of his old twin he’d had for years. There’s definitely room for both of them on there. He drops his bag on his desk. “You, uh...you cool with this, samurai?”

“If you are, sure,” Keith replies, though his cheeks are brushed pink. Maybe it’s just as awkward to him as it feels to Lance? “But we should probably go if we wanna have any time on the beach before your niblings start bothering us for stories again, right?”

Lance latches on to the escape offered with a laugh and leads them out the back door to the sand and the water.

*~*~*~*

Getting ready for bed that night is weird as they both take turns in the bathroom to change, even though they’d seen each other in much less during their years fighting. It just feels _different_ now. More.

Lance slips under the covers first, keeping as much to one side as he possibly can, but it’s not like there’s an unlimited amount of space between them when Keith joins him. They take a moment to try to figure out how to be the most comfortable in each other’s space like this when Keith finally lets out a huff. 

“McClain, just get your skinny ass over here and wrap around me.”

Choking on a laugh, Lance does as he’s told, finding it much easier than he ever would have imagined it would be. And it’s soothing to be able to feel another person is there with him. “We’re talking about this in the morning.”

“Looking forward to it.”


	7. Now or Never Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7: Now or Never Kiss  
> Rating: All audiences  
> Word Count: 803  
> Tags: Everyone lives because I say so, after the war, introspective, first kiss, desperate kiss.  
> Summary: With the war over, there's time to heal, time to think, but when that's done and they're about to move on with their lives, is Keith _really_ going to pass up what may be his last opportunity for something with Lance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a twist on the idea of now or never, but I think it still fits.

In the aftermath of the final battle, none of them really know what to do. Is it finally over? Really and truly done? 

The universe needs time to recover still, and so do they. It takes almost a month for the cuts and bruises to fade to scars and memories, but it happens. They’ll carry the reminders forever, but Keith sees them as a sign of triumph. Yes, there are some with painful memories attached to them, like the scar on his face, but they also show that they made it. They survived and protected those around them. 

He knows the others have mixed feelings about their own reminders and, while he would love nothing more than to encourage them to see things his way (especially Lance, always Lance), he knows they all need their own time.

Of course, even after taking the time to heal, there’s still work to be done. The cuts left by the Galra empire run deep through the universe and they can’t just sit idly by and leave things to fester. 

Keith agrees to join his mother on the Blade's outreach missions, to deliver supplies to the planets and colonies in need. It’s where he feels he’ll be the most useful, so that’s where he goes, even if the idea of leaving the others behind, leaving _Lance_ behind again, tears him apart inside.

The others have their own plans, too, Hunk and Lance are going to spend some time with their families first, to connect with them after all the years spent in space. After that, though, they’ll be joining Pidge and Shiro back at the Garrison. None of them can fight the urge to continue helping, not when they can make a difference. 

For Hunk and Pidge, that means developing more tech, the details of which go over Keith’s head every time they try to tell him more. Shiro, with a freshly recovered Adam standing by his side, has stepped into his leadership role with strength Keith is so very proud to see. Even if he thinks that his brother deserves nothing more than to sleep for the next _decade_.

And Lance will actually be teaching, at least for a short time, helping prepare the next group of pilots for what’s out there and then leading his own humanitarian missions to get supplies where they're needed most. Keith can’t help but hope that their paths will cross frequently.

Allura and Coran will be going back into space as well, but for a different reason than the members of the Blade. They need to properly establish Altea once more and continue to work on the coalition of united planets. It’s more politics than Keith can stomach, but Allura looks as strong as ever and he wishes them the best of luck.

As Keith prepares to leave with his mother, his gaze falls on Lance, waiting with the rest of the team to see him off, and he freezes. When is the next time they’ll see each other? Months? Years? No, they’ll definitely see each other in a year to celebrate the end of the war, but that’s not the point.

Will they keep ignoring whatever this is between them, forever? 

Maybe it’s his impulsive nature getting the better of him, but he can’t let this be. Not now. Not when he finally has a chance for this. He can’t just throw it away and spend the rest of his years regretting this moment. 

He darts down the ramp of the ship and all but crashes into Lance, pulling him down into a kiss as soon as he gets his hands around the beautiful man’s head. It’s desperate and harsh, but he hopes it conveys all the pent up feelings he’s had for years now.

It’s made even better, though, when Lance’s hands cup his cheeks in turn, initially meeting all his intensity like Lance has always been able to before gentling the kiss into something _more_. 

Vaguely, he registers the cheers of his friends and he pulls away slightly with a blush, just enough to break the kiss finally. He doesn’t get very far, though, with Lance’s arms wrapped around him as if he’s never going to let go.

Keith doesn’t want him to.

He glances over and catches his mother’s gaze. “I’ll catch the next ship out to where you’re at,” he says, voice rough. Like hell he can just up and leave after that, even if he could somehow break out of Lance’s hold.

She shakes her head with a smile and he knows she’s happy for him. “I’ll see you in a phoeb, then.”

That long?

He looks back to Lance, who’s looking at him like he can’t believe he’s here. Keith pulls him into another kiss, just because he can. 

That long sounds perfect.


	8. Training Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8: Training Together  
> Rating: Teen (for language and potentially suggestive themes?)  
> Word Count: 714  
> Tags: Swords, training, some flirting, slight introspection from Lance?, pining boys, silly.  
> Summary: Lance finally shows Keith his sword and agrees to train together when asked. Of course, they can't help if there's some taunting and flirting at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternately titled: "boys and their toys."
> 
> Yes, I'm still salty about the fact that Keith never got to see Lance's new bayard form.
> 
> Also, the rating is probable erring on the side of caution, but I'd rather do that than risk catching anyone off guard.

Lance wasn’t sure what to make of Keith's reaction when Lance first showed him that he could now change his bayard into a sword. There was an odd intensity to his eyes that he’d never seen before, different from when they were in battle, but still maybe some form of excitement? 

He couldn’t dwell on it now, parrying another swing of Keith’s Marmora blade. When he’d agreed to train together, he’d thought they would be facing the bot together, as a team? Keith hadn’t brought out the bot, though, when they’d arrived. Instead he’d shed his jacket and tossed it to crumple near the wall before activating his blade. 

Following suit, Lance tossed his coat aside, lamenting not having some kind of gloves like Keith and Hunk have, or wishing for time to change into his armor before they got here, if only to make him feel like he had a better grip on the hilt. The Altean broadsword feels more comfortable in his hand than it had originally, which definitely attests to all the time he’d spent training with it alone. 

At first, he’d thought he would be able to impress Allura with his skills, after getting so easily overpowered when she first identified the sword for him. As time went on, he couldn’t help thinking more and more about how _Keith_ would react. He’d imagined a multitude of reactions: surprised, impressed, angry, jealous, and--on his really bad days--indifferent. 

“Focus, Lance,” Keith says, pulling Lance out of his thoughts in time to deflect another swing and counter, shocked when he almost snags the other’s shirt.

He takes a step back immediately. “Shit, man, are you okay? I didn’t actually get you, right?”

Keith grins, his stance casual but Lance _knows_ his itching to keep going. “Gonna have to work harder than that, Sharpshooter.”

Oh, it’s _on_ now. 

He’s missed this, the push and pull they have between each other to be better, _do better_. At first, it was detrimental to their well-being, and they’re definitely still prone to stupid things that will leave their lions face-planted in the sand, but now? 

Now they’ve come so far from where they were and there’s an added _something_ to their interactions, one that Lance is cautious on calling out. 

He’s just waiting for a clear signal from Keith on whether he should act on it. And, going by the last few days together, this might be it.

Readying his stance, he lifts his sword up again and waits for Keith to make the next move. If there’s one thing that working with a gun has taught him that carries over to close combat, it’s waiting for an opening.

Keith lunges again, but it’s not as on point as he was before and Lance wonders what’s up. Did he get too impatient suddenly? The blue paladin doesn’t say anything, though, as he can see that Keith’s frowning to himself, clearly catching his mistake.

It’s like a switch is flipped at that moment. Keith gradually gets sloppier and sloppier as they continue, making small mistakes that would cost him dearly if this was an actual fight and Lance was aiming to hurt him. 

As it is, Lance has to work a little harder to make sure he _doesn’t_ hurt the red paladin and it’s testing the limits of his control on his grip.

After some time, though, Lance spots a very clear opening and bumps the hilt of his sword against Keith’s wrist in the right spot to not cause damage, but the Marmora blade falls out of his hand and deactivates, clattering to the floor as a dagger. A quick step later and Lance points his sword at Keith’s throat.

He watches Keith swallow and feels a tingle up his spine. “You yield?”

Keith drops to his knees suddenly and Lance lets out a sound of surprise as he moves so that he doesn’t accidentally slice Keith’s neck or something equally horrifying. Keith mutters something, but he doesn’t hear it over his own pounding heart.

“What was that?”

“You win, Lance,” Keith repeats, looking up at the blue paladin and biting his lip. _Oh_. _Here’s_ definitely the signal he was waiting for.

Lance grins, letting his bayard deactivate finally. “Oh? And what is it that I win?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And ending there as it's the end of them training together and the rating would be _vastly_ different if it kept going. If there's enough interest and I get motivated enough, I might make a separate sequel for this.


	9. Flirting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9: Flirting  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 912  
> Tags: Flirty Lance, Charmed Keith (though he won't admit it), S2-3 dynamic, competitive idiots, dorks in love but won't admit their feelings, cute, soft.  
> Summary: Keith supposes he brought this on himself. But, really, he hadn't expected the tables to turn on him quite like _this_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has a little bit of a mix of their S2-3 dynamic, because I wanted to have some fun with it.

Keith supposes he brought this on himself. But, really, he hadn’t expected the tables to turn on him quite like _this_.

*~*~*~*

“We’ll be landing on the planet shortly. We’re expected to put in a short appearance for the celebrations, but after that, please feel free to turn in for the night. This was not an easy battle and we’ve made it clear that you need rest,” Allura says at the end of her debriefing. 

Not easy is an understatement, Keith can’t help but think. Pidge is swaying on her feet and Hunk is looking ready to do the same. Even Shiro, ever professional, looks ready to lean against the nearest surface and fall asleep.

“While normally I’d regret not getting the chance to charm the locals, sleep sounds amazing right now. Even if it is their loss,” Lance says teasingly.

Keith can’t hold back his snort.

Lance turns to him with a smirk. “Oh, have something to say, Mullet?”

He puts on a show of bristling at the nickname, but he’s just so damn _tired_. Which probably isn’t helping his filter either. “What? I’m just surprised you think what you call flirting actually works.”

“I’ll have you know that my flirting has worked plenty of times, thank you very much.”

“Yeah? Prove it.”

*~*~*~*

Yeah, definitely brought that on himself.

*~*~*~*

Falling asleep as soon as he gets back to his room from their appearance, Keith doesn’t think much of the challenge he’d inadvertently issued. 

The next morning runs smoothly, even though they’re all a little slower to start. Keith even decides to do a lower level with the bot to not risk burning out in case they need to fight again. 

Allura and Shiro agree to pass on their training for the day during breakfast, just as Lance comes in to join them, looking far more refreshed than the rest of them. 

“Good morning, everyone,” Lance greets, stepping around Keith to get to his seat. 

The red paladin almost chokes on his drink when he feels a hand trail along his back. He looks up at Lance with a frown. 

“And especially a good morning to you, too, beautiful.”

Vaguely, Keith hears Hunk gasp and Pidge groan, but he’s frozen on the spot. What in space…? Their conversation from yesterday comes back to him and he glares at Lance.

Is that how he’s going to play this game?

Bring it on.

*~*~*~*

If asked, Keith would probably try to say that Lance’s flirting is completely ineffective, but it would be a lie.

The thing is, he’s _seen_ Lance flirt with all sorts of people, has heard all the horrible pick up lines and bad jokes. He’d been expecting more of the same, with Lance turning all of that onto him. 

But it’s not the same.

And the worst part is that when they go to the next planet, Keith doesn’t even get a break. Lance seems to only have “eyes” for him and doesn’t even bother to flirt with any of the locals. Even those that make it obvious that they’re interested in him. Instead, he watches Lance politely turn them down with a small joke and then grab two drinks, bringing one directly to Keith.

He pauses a moment before accepting the glass. “Do you even know what this is?”

“No, but Pidge scanned it and said it’s safe to drink and non-alcoholic, so thought you might enjoy some.” Lance tips his glass slightly to tap against Keith’s. “Cheers.”

“Are we toasting something?” Keith asks.

Lance chuckles and Keith tries to ignore the warm feeling that causes in his stomach. “I mean, we can if you want to. What should we toast to?”

Mind drawing a blank, Keith shrugs. “You’re the one who said cheers, I thought you had something in mind.”

Humming thoughtfully, Lance considers his drink before looking up at Keith. He reaches out and gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind Keith’s ear. “How about a toast to the galaxies in your eyes?”

Keith twitches just out of reach, face burning. “Wh-what?”

“Too much?” Lance murmurs with another laugh. “I mean it, though. Your eyes sparkle.”

Keith downs his drink quickly instead of replying. As if Lance has any right to say that with the oceans he holds in his own eyes.

*~*~*~*

Three days. He lasts three days before confronting Lance about it. Catching the blue paladin before they reach the dining area for breakfast, he pulls him aside.

“Hey, starlight,” Lance says with an easy smile, as if he already knows what has Keith scowling. Which he probably does, the ass. 

Keith lets go of the other’s arm and takes a step back. “This needs to stop.”

“What needs to stop? You’re going to need to be more specific, pretty boy.”

Ignoring the heat rising in his cheeks, Keith crosses his arms defensively over his chest. “ _That_. The flirting. You’ve done enough.”

Lance smiles at Keith almost...shyly? _What the hell_? “So you gonna admit that my flirting works?”

Opening his mouth for a split second, Keith changes his mind. He takes a deep breath instead and Lance starts to look nervous. Good, it’s about time the tables turned on him. Letting another impulse take over, Keith steps closer, lowering his arms, and the blue paladin flinches as if about to be hit. Keith takes advantage of the other’s closed eyes and presses a quick kiss to Lance’s cheek before turning and walking away.

“I’m not admitting shit.”


	10. Childhood Friends to Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10: Childhood Friends to Lovers  
> Rating: Teen (for suggestive themes?)  
> Word Count: 704  
> Tags: High school AU, prom season, promposal, cute, silly, sweet.  
> Summary: Lance wants to ask his childhood best friend to prom, but Keith doesn't seem interested. Hopefully he'll still say yes?

“Hey, so, do you think you’ll go to prom?” Lance asks as they work in Keith’s room, going over their English assignment together.

The other boy shakes his head, biting the end of his pencil. For all that he excels in the maths and sciences, he struggles with finding the deeper meanings of literary works ( _“The room was blue, Lance. There’s no hidden message in that. **Your** room is blue. Maybe the author just happens to like blue!”_). “I don’t think so, no.”

Lance leans against the wall, trying not to make it obvious that he’s watching his best friend closely. “You sure? It’s kinda the ultimate reward for getting through senior year.”

“I thought graduation was the ultimate reward,” Keith replies, lifting his gaze to give Lance a half smile.

Tsking, Lance stretches his arms above his head. “Everyone knows graduation is more for our families than it is for us. I mean, the majority of us know we’re gonna graduate unless something absolutely crazy happens and we all know where we’re going after that. So why not celebrate?”

“I dunno. Just...not sure if it’s my thing, you know?”

After all these years, Lance does know. Keith isn’t the fondest of crowds or people in general, which always made their friendship seem weird, considering Lance is probably one of the most outgoing people at their school. But they’d been neighbors since the Shiroganes adopted Keith and moved the whole family out here. Given that they are about the same age, it just made sense that they became friends, even if middle school had been a rough few years for them.

But Lance can’t help pushing. “What if someone asks you to go with them?”

Keith shrugs, turning back to his book. “I guess it depends on the person. I’d still probably say no, though.”

Frowning, Lance sighs. “Oh.”

“What about you? You’re going, right?”

“I was thinking about it,” he replies honestly. “But...maybe not if the person I wanna ask says no. Don’t wanna third-wheel it with Hunk and Shay, you know?”

Turning the page, Keith gives Lance another glance, frowning as if he wants to ask more but doesn’t want to pry. Lance appreciates that about him, especially since he’s not ready to say any more on it just yet. 

“Well, you won’t know unless you ask.”

Lance nods in agreement, feeling like his heart is trying to rise up into his throat and choke him.

*~*~*~*

It’s definitely at least a little gay--okay, a lot gay--but Lance sets up a little picnic in the park for him and Keth on the first warm clear day they have. He can tell even over text messages that Keith is confused, but at least he’s willing to show up. 

As soon as he arrives, Lance gestures for him to join him on the blanket, which is more than big enough for the two of them to spread out on. 

“Well...I...um...how did you do on that essay? Did my suggestions help any?”

Keith stares at him blankly. “Is something wrong, Lance? You wouldn’t ask me out here to just ask me about a paper.”

Chuckling dryly, Lance feels his face warming up. _You won’t know unless you ask_. He takes a deep breath. “So...I’ve liked you...for a really long time. I know you would hate a huge promposal, but I still wanted to do something special, so…” Reaching into the picnic basket, he pulls out a single red rose with a blue ribbon tied around the stem. “Will you go to prom with me?”

His best friend’s face is bright red as he takes the flower, biting his lip. After a heart-pounding moment, he looks up at Lance with that beautiful half-smile. “You don’t expect me to wear a dress, do you?”

He can’t stop the laugh that pulls from him. “You’re kidding, right? We both know I can totally pull off a skirt better than you.”

“Mmm...if you’re lucky, that might not be the only thing you pull off,” Keith replies with a smirk, reaching out to take Lance’s hand in his.

Bumping their shoulders, Lance knows his smile probably looks stupid-fond. “No, that’s for _after_ prom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how Keith got to be so forward in this, but it's fun.


	11. Protective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11: Protective  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 713  
> Tags: Hurt/comfort-ish vibes?, set sometime loosely post-canon, introspective, soft, reminiscing, mentions of anxiety.  
> Summary: If anyone asks how he and Lance work so well together, Keith wouldn't know how to answer. Not that he doesn't _have_ an answer, but that he has _so many_. Where would he even begin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd be able to catch up today, but this one basically wrote itself in less than ten minutes. It might be semi-stream-of-consciousness writing, but I kinda like it.

If anyone asks how he and Lance work so well together, Keith wouldn’t know how to answer.

Not that he doesn’t _have_ an answer, but that he has _so many_. Where would he even begin?

They’re so good at reading each other, in part due to the war, but also just from a base understanding they have of one another from so many years in close proximity to one another. With or without the Galra empire to worry about, it would be hard not to get that kind of understanding after all that time together.

Yeah, without the war, they might not have gotten that time together initially, but...Keith likes to think they would have been drawn together eventually.

Lance can always tell when Keith has had too much of people, reaching his "social quota" as the blue paladin once put it. When Keith asked about it one day, Lance replied that he’s got a few tells with his particular frowns and how his eyebrows scrunch a certain way. Keith wasn’t aware there was a difference, and he knows that Lance could just be bullshitting him, but he appreciates the other’s help all the same.

He also helps delegations run smoothly. While Keith has gotten better at them under Shiro and Allura’s guidance, he still struggles some days. More than once Lance has stepped in and fixed some cultural misunderstanding before it has a chance to turn into a scandal or--worse--an all out fight. 

What Keith is most thankful about that, though, is that Lance is always willing to take the time after to talk it out with him, makes sure that Keith understands what went wrong and why by helping Keith put the pieces together himself instead of just berating him like the others might. He gets him to an answer without letting him spend hours or days beating himself up about his mistakes, helping him through them when they crop up in his mind at a later date to try to bite him in the ass.

And, who knows, maybe one day he won’t need to have Lance’s help to get through the long meetings of deliberation anymore, but, even if that day does arrive (he’s not going to hold his breath), he will still want to have the blue paladin at his back.

On the other hand, some days Lance needs to escape himself more than anything. Not his selflessness when he throws himself in front of others to protect them (which there have been multitudes of arguments and discussions about), but when his anxieties get too loud for him to drown out alone. 

Those are the days that Keith both hates and loves.

He hates to see Lance like that, doubting his own worth at every turn, doubting how much everyone actually cares for him. It tears Keith up inside that he doesn’t have the words to tell Lance just how much he means to everyone, means to _him_. And so he does what he can with actions.

Which leads him to what he loves about those days. And it’s not that he wishes for them to happen or anything like that, but if they do have to happen, he’s glad that he can be there for Lance in turn, that Lance lets him close enough to see him so vulnerable. It’s those days that he holds Lance instead of being held, wrapping up in soft clothes and blankets on the couch, nuzzling against his temple and playing with his hair. Makes sure he goes through his skincare routines even if he lacks the motivation because Keith knows he’ll berate himself for it later if he slacks. 

He loves it because it lets him do something for Lance in return for all that Lance has done for him, let’s him show Lance that he loves all sides of him, even if they aren’t the prettiest.

There aren’t many words said at all on those days, but Keith knows his actions get through to Lance, as usually by the end of the day, Lance manages to fall asleep smiling once more.

Maybe the question is backwards. Or maybe the answer to it should be. That they do so much to protect the other _because_ they work so well together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos appreciated. I hope you're all staying safe out there.


	12. Forced Proximity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12: Forced Proximity  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 700  
> Tags: Fluff, sweet, being honest with their feelings (finally), hiding together, confessions, almost-kiss.  
> Summary: Keith and Lance are hiding together to avoid a massive amount of sentries. While waiting for Pidge to shut them down, feelings finally come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I got way behind on this. I'm seeing how much I can get written for it today, so don't be surprised if I post a lot of chapters for it today to try to catch up.

Lance pulls Keith tighter into their hiding space when he feels the red paladin tense, ready to storm out despite the alarmingly large number of sentries outside. “Easy there, samurai.”

“We can’t just stay here and wait for them to find us,” Keith hisses back, both bayard and his Marmora blade activated.

There’s a slight crackle on their coms and then Pidge’s voice comes through. “Keith, fucking stay in that closet. If you step out or otherwise draw attention to your position, you and Lance are dead.” 

Unable to help himself from responding to such a perfect opening, Lance grins despite the situation. “I thought Keith and I were already out of the closet. For shame, Pigeon, trying to force us back into it.”

It sounds like Pidge’s helmet smacks against something metal through the transmission and Lance only feels slightly guilty about it. “Just….sit tight and don’t get yourselves killed. I’ll have those things shut down as quick as I can.”

“Aw, Pidge, you do care,” Lance replies, trying to keep the mood light even though he can tell Keith is still itching to go out there. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep Mr. Gung-ho here safe.”

“You better.”

Reaching up with his free hand, Lance presses the button on his helmet and then on Keith’s to prevent anything they say from transmitting to the others. “Hey, man, I know you don’t like this, but you really need to calm down. Pidge is right, running out there right now is suicide.”

Keith growls softly and Lance feels a tingle down his spine. “I’d rather die out there fighting than just stay here waiting for them to find us.”

Lance lets his bayard pull into his thigh holster and uses both hands to turn Keith around to face him, waiting until the other meets his eyes. “You need to trust our friends more. They’re gonna get us out. No one’s going to find us and we’ll both be fine, okay?”

The red paladin finally cracks, shoulders drooping and head falling forward against Lance’s shoulder. “The team can’t... _I_ can’t lose you, Lance.”

Oh, that’s a lot more emotion than he was expecting on this mission, but then, nothing so far has gone according to plan today. “You’re not going to lose me. I’m the cool ninja sharpshooter, remember? Who else would have your back.” He pauses for a moment and then shifts his arms to wrap around Keith’s shoulders. “And I can’t lose you either, okay? So please don’t do something stupid like run out there until Pidge gets everything shut down.”

There’s a flash of light as both blades deactivate and then the sound of Keith’s bayard vanishing as well. He’s glad that Keith keeps the Marmora blade in hand, though, in the off chance that, well, they _are_ found before Pidge finishes hacking the system.

With one hand now free, Keith slides it around Lance’s waist and pulls him even closer, _nuzzling_ into his neck. “I won’t lose you,” he whispers and Lance swears he feels Keith’s breath on his skin, though his suit would prevent it. 

“You won’t,” Lance agrees, tightening his own grip. “You and I are gonna get out of this just fine and we’re gonna group hug with everyone. After that, well, maybe we can talk a little bit about whatever this is, yeah?”

“I just...you’re the most important person to me, Lance.”

“Or, we can talk about this now,” Lance replies with a soft laugh. “You’re my most important person, too, _cariño_.”

Keith moves slightly and Lance looks down to see the red paladin shifting closer to him. Oh, he's totally going for a kiss. It’s probably going to be awkward as shit with their helmets still on, but they’ll have to just do better later. And they’ll definitely have a later.

Before they can close that final gap, though, the coms crackle again, startling them both. Lance reaches up and activates communication from his end. “Pidge?”

“Got them. They should drop in two ticks. As soon as they do, run to your lions.”

Their bayards in hand once more, they give each other a nod and secretive smile. “We’re ready, Pigeon.”

“ _Run!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole thing happened because Lance wanted to make that closet joke. I'm sorry.


	13. Spontaneous Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13: Spontaneous Kiss  
> Rating: Teen (slightly suggestive themes?)  
> Word Count: 505  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, established relationship, tooth-rotting fluff  
> Summary: Keith likes hearing Lance talk about his family. He looks so happy and light sharing stories and, well, how can he resist kissing him?

Keith enjoys listening to Lance talk, how, even when sitting, he’s completely animated with sweeping gestures and small hand signs to better emphasize what he’s saying. Even having one arm around Keith’s shoulders isn’t enough to stop the movements, that hand squeezing Keith’s shoulder or rubbing up and down his bicep as the stories continue.

He especially likes hearing Lance talk about his family. Even though they’re now able to make contact regularly while travelling the universe, the blue paladin still misses them deeply and getting the chance to share stories about them seems to do wonders for his mood. 

Keith will happily hear the same stories a hundred times over if it means keeping the clouds away from Lance’s expression. 

Not to mention that he just enjoys hearing about them all. He’s only got a few stories of his own to share about his dad and then a few of Shiro and Adam, but he’s never really had that connection. Learning so much about Lance’s family, it starts to really feel like he’s part of that, and he wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything. 

When Lance finally takes a breath between stories, Keith leans up to give him a quick kiss, needing some way to express the feelings bubbling inside of him before they burst. 

Lance freezes, arm poised in midair, before smiling down at Keith. “What was that for?”

Keith shrugs. “You looked cute and I wanted to kiss you,” he replies honestly. He’s never seen a reason not to be completely honest about stuff like this. “Continue?”

“You…I…” Lance sputters, cheeks turning red. “I completely lost my train of thought.”

Oh, that’s too bad, really. Keith had been hoping to hear more about the pranks Lance and his siblings had pulled on each other. But, well, he’s not about to pass aside an opportunity like this to get more attention from his boyfriend. “Sorry. We could always do something else…” he says, knowing he doesn’t sound apologetic at all.

Turning slightly on the couch, Lance crowds into his space with a smirk. “You’re lucky I like you so much.”

As it always seems to when Lance says something like that, Keith’s heart starts racing. He smiles, tipping back slightly on the couch and pulling Lance with him. “Oh? And what would you do if you didn’t like me so much?”

“Well, none of this, for one,” Lance replies with a chuckle, shifting to lay comfortably over the red paladin. Both his hands gravitate to Keith’s hair, and Keith tips into the contact with a humming purr. Lance’s obsession with his hair is hilarious for Keith, but as long as he gets to reap the benefits like this, he’s not about to complain. 

“That would be a real shame,” Keith counters, giving Lance another moment to get comfortable and tangle their legs together before pulling him down into another kiss. 

They’ll probably get scolded later if any of the others happen to catch them, but Keith can’t bring himself to care one bit.


	14. Flustered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14: Jock x Punk  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 517  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, high school AU, Jock!Lance, Punk!Keith, shenanigans.  
> Summary: People who thought Keith was the “bad influence” in their relationship couldn’t be more wrong.

People who thought Keith was the “bad influence” in their relationship couldn’t be more wrong. Lance broke just as many rules as Keith, if not more on certain days, he was just better at not getting caught. Or, if he did get caught, he could talk his way out of just about any punishment. 

While he knows it’s a horrible double standard, him being a jock, and a good one at that, does give him more leeway than others. And while he’d never use it for getting away with hurting another person (and he absolutely despised anyone who did so), he has no problems using it to work a system that would otherwise be so against him due to his heritage and sexuality. 

If the administration can only see him as their golden trophy winner, that’s their problem. He just wants to enjoy life as much as he can with his adorable punk boyfriend.

They both had done their fair share of rebellious acts and rule-breaking, too, but it was even more fun when they did it together. Like covering Iverson’s car with sticky notes and filling it with glitter, knowing that would _never_ come out. 

The guy deserved it, too, After Keith (Iverson’s declared prodigy) transferred out of the class to another one that better fit his needs, Iverson started taking his frustration out on Lance, stating he’d never be up to snuff or whatever.

Keith had wanted to do more damage to the car after hearing that, but Lance managed to be the voice of reason. Iverson may be a dick, but he’s not worth a suspension. 

Lance’s favorite pranks, though, were when they managed to convince Pidge to hack into the school website and change all the faculty photos with Animal Crossing characters (it really didn’t take all that much convincing) and then a few weeks later when they rented a few bouncy castles to put on the quad. There was _technically_ nothing against it in the school rules, after all. At least not until after they’d done it. 

Even removing the talk about rule breaking and bad influences, even their fellow classmates have issues understanding how they seem to click. Lance, star athlete in both swim and track, is friends with just about everyone he meets, while Keith never bothers to engage with those around him. 

But they’d met by chance one day, when they were both ditching class, and they decided to hang out together for the rest of the period. Well, Lance decided and Keith went along as neither of them had anything better to do (Keith later told Lance that he’d also had a massive crush on Lance at that point and like hell he’d waste a chance to spend time together). And after that, they just kept hanging out until things...changed. Their hands did that stupid cliche brush one day and they both held on after that. 

When Keith pulled Lance behind the bleachers after one of his track meets to give him a congratulatory kiss, well, they made it official. 

The rest, as they say, is history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to lie, this is probably the trope I will always struggle the most with. I am not particularly happy with this one and I haven't gone through it again to check for errors, but I'm going to leave it as is. I hope at least one person enjoys it.


	15. Flustered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15: Flustered  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 509  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, tooth-rotting fluff, established relationship, Lance can't handle how cute Keith is, ridiculous boys in love.  
> Summary: When they had first started dating, Keith never imagined he could make Lance as flustered as Lance makes him on a regular basis. What a shock to find out he was wrong.

When they had first started dating, Keith never imagined he could make Lance as flustered as Lance makes him on a regular basis. What a shock to find out he was wrong.

He can’t even explain it, not exactly. He’s pretty sure he’s just responding to Lance’s questions honestly, but it’s like Lance doesn’t expect him to at all. What’s he supposed to do when Lance asks what’s on his mind and all he’s really thought about for the last several minutes is how he wants to kiss Lance? Lie? But that would mean he wouldn’t get a kiss, which would be _unacceptable_. 

While he knows Lance has dated people before, it’s like everything is completely new for both of them. Keith’s fooled around in the past, for sure, but never had an actual romantic connection. And Lance seems to have never had someone be as into him as he was them. Which is a total shame, but their loss in the end.

Keith is more than willing to step up for this beautiful boy and prove to him that he’s worth it. That he’s _enough_ just the way he is.

Even as time goes by, Lance is continuously caught off guard by Keith’s responses to his questions. 

“I was thinking about how sweet you are,” he says when Lance brings him a plate of food at one of the coalition gatherings.

“How pretty you look in the fading light,” he responds when they’re visiting Earth again and are enjoying the sunset on the beach.

“How sexy you looked just now,” he answers after Lance pulls a stunning (and sexy, so very sexy) move, shooting one training droid that had been sneaking up on Keith and then turning and shifting his bayard into a sword to stab through the bot trying to do the same to him. 

Without fail, Lance always ends up stuttering and blushing, usually kissing Keith soon after as if he’s trying to prevent the red paladin from saying more. Really, though, that only encourages him to keep it up. As if he would ever stop doing something he can tell makes Lance so happy and also gets him kissed like _this_. 

The universe would have to end first.

“How I...I hope that’s us one day,” he whispers, heart pounding, during Shiro and Adam’s wedding reception. He knows this one is a risk, that they haven’t talked much about their future, but after so many years together, it feels like the next right step. He can only hope that Lance feels the same way.

Lance wraps his arms around Keith’s middle and pulls him close. “While I would never be so tacky as to propose at your brother’s wedding, it will be us one day. I promise.”

Okay, so while that one might have _technically_ backfired on him, as he can feel his own face heating up instead, he can’t help but feel happier than he ever has before. 

He’s going to marry Lance some day. They’re going to have this forever. 

He can’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprisingly, after the mess of the last one, I think this one is one of my favorites...


	16. Cuddling for Warmth & Stranded Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 & 17: Cuddling for Warmth & Stranded Together  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 1014  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, hurt/comfort-ish, sharing body warmth, set sometime loosely late/post-canon.  
> Summary: Keith and Lance get stuck on a planet when a storm kicks in. Lance calls Keith into Red when he notices that his fellow paladin isn't able to stay warm in Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put the 16th and 17th together as one piece because the tropes just always work so well together. 
> 
> Cuddling for warmth is seriously just one of my favorite tropes anyway. :)

Lance tries the coms one more time, just to see if anything has changed, but there’s only static. He sighs and turns it back off again from his end, the sound starting to get irritating the longer he hears it.

They’d only just had enough time to get a message out to the castleship, barely in range, before the storm kicked in again. It was enough to let the others know that they’re all right and they’ll get back as soon as they can. 

As soon as this storm passes. 

They’d been sloppy, certainly, taken just a little too long when they knew the storm would knock out their systems, make their lions useless and make any attempt at a rescue completely pointless. There’s nothing to be done about it now, though. At least they were able to find a rocky outcropping large enough for both lions to fit under, even if it is a tight fit. On top of that, they’ve both got plenty of rations stored, a lingering habit from their space road trip ages ago that is working in their favor now.

He knows Keith is frustrated about this too, worried about the rest of the team as well as the situation the two of them are stuck in. They both know the others can take care of themselves, they’ve seen it multiple times, but if they happen to need Voltron while he and Keith are stuck here with Red and Black...what then?

Lance looks over at the video chat he has open with Black at Keith’s insistence that they keep an eye on each other. It’s a good thing, too, because he can see that there’s a small cloud every time Keith exhales and he’s starting to look even paler than usual. Lance presses a couple buttons and mutters in Spanish under his breath. The temperature outside is dropping fast. But, why isn’t Lance feeling…?

Red is the guardian of fire, _of course_ he wouldn’t be feeling it.

“Hey, man, how are you doing over there?” Lance calls quickly, mind racing as he tries to figure out what they should do. There’s no way he can let Keith stay over there and freeze to death.

“All right. It’s getting a bit cold, though.”

“Yeah, I can see that on your end. You should come over here,” Lance suggests. “Red’s still warm and I know she wouldn’t mind having you over here for a visit.” 

Red purrs in the back of his mind and he can also sense a teasing undertone of knowing that Lance does _not_ have the time to address right now.

Keith looks like he’s going to protest, but then bites his tongue. “Yeah, okay, I’ll be right over.”

Crap, it must be even worse than Lance thought if Keith isn’t trying to put up any sort of resistance. As soon as the video feed ends, Lance darts up from his chair, digging around for any and all blankets he’s stored in her over the years. Not that he needs them for warmth, but usually for comfort. 

He hears Red open up and heads down to meet Keith, shivering at the cold air that comes in with him. “C’mon, buddy, before you let out all the warm,” he says lightly, reaching out to pull Keith inside. 

He can feel how cold Keith’s fingers are even through the gloves. 

*~*~*~*

“Were you even going to say anything?” Lance murmurs with a frown, leading Keith further inside Red. The difference of temperature as soon as her mouth shuts behind him is startling.

Keith can feel Red’s concern for him, even though she isn’t his lion anymore, and it’s comforting in its own way. He’s glad she still cares. He gets a mental scoff for that and has to bite his cheek to keep from smiling. “I hadn’t thought it was going to get that bad. It got pretty cold some nights in the desert, so I thought I’d be fine.”

The blue paladin’s frown increases as he pulls Keith over to what looks like a lumpy mess of blankets. “Get out of your armor. We need to warm you up properly.”

In the past, Keith probably would have argued being given orders like this, especially from someone like Lance, but...things are different now between them. There’s definitely something that’s not quite friendship growing, and, on top of all that, a mutual trust and understanding that he never would have seen coming if he hadn’t lived through it.

He works on taking off his armor with stiff fingers, lacking dexterity more than he’d realized. 

Lance mutters something in Spanish again and Keith is startled to realize that he’s already down to his undersuit while Keith is still struggling with his arm braces. “Hang on, I’ve got you,” he whispers soothingly and takes over for Keith, getting him down to his undersuit as well.

By the time he’s finished, Keith has started shivering, his body desperately trying to warm up now that the air around him is registering as warmer. Lance curses, this time in English, and pulls Keith down into the blanket pile with him, encouraging Keith to sit in front of him so that he can wrap himself around Keith and then a blanket around the both of them. 

“Sorry,” Keith murmurs, balling up tight to try to stop his shaking as Lance envelops him completely. He hadn’t realized that someone so lanky could cuddle so well. 

“Hey, relax, you’re going to wear yourself out faster all tense like that,” the blue paladin replies, rubbing one hand up and down Keith’s arm as feeling gradually returns all over. “We have time.”

Keith shivers again when Lance’s head rests against his, the different in temperature between the two of them startling. How had he not realized he’d gotten so cold? “Thank you.”

Lance hums. “Of course, samurai. I’ve always got your back. Just this time a little more literally.”

Snorting softly, Keith relaxes in Lance’s hold, feeling his heart pound but enjoying it all the same. “Yeah, you really do.”


	17. Forbidden Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18: Forbidden Love  
> Rating: Teen  
> Word Count: 500  
> Tags: fluff, established relationship, Vampire!Keith, Werewolf!Lance, dorks in love.  
> Summary: Lance sneaks into Keith's room so they can see each other when stubborn elders on both sides would rather they didn't.

“You know Shiro’s going to do that disappointed dad face if he catches you in here again,” Keith says as Lance climbs up through his window.

Lance smirks as he gets his feet on the floor smoothly, barely making a sound. “I don’t see you telling me to stay away, though. Would you rather I leave?”

Keith’s pale cheeks darken, indicating he’d fed well recently. Good. “I never said that.”

“Aw, c’mon, little fang, at least give me a smile?” Lance teases. He gathers the vampire in his arms and nuzzles against his neck, scenting him. 

“That tickles, Lance!” Keith hisses at him, though he does nothing more than jerk his head away. His eyes are sparkling, too, so he’s not actually annoyed. 

If Lance’s tail were out, it’d probably be wagging right now. “Do you want to come out with me tonight? Hunk’s working the door, so we could get into the club without paying the cover charge.”

He can tell that Keith does consider it for a moment. They both love going out to dance, especially together, but it looks like it won’t be a thing tonight as Keith shakes his head. “If someone sees us, they’ll likely tell Shiro. Or _Allura_.”

Lance frowns, but doesn’t push. It’s not that either of them will necessarily get in trouble, per se, if seen together, but they’ve been told to keep a low profile while things are smoothed out. There’s been a shift over the past few years of acceptance between weres and vamps, but a lot of the older generation is slower to change than molasses in the middle of winter. Lance just wants to go dancing with his boyfriend. Why was that so hard for the old coots to get?

“Want to come over to my place, then?” he asks, looking down at Keith with pleading eyes. “We can watch a movie or something together there. You know no one in my family has a problem with you. Mama probably even has a couple bags in the freezer that we can warm up if you get hungry.” 

Well, no one has a problem except one of Lance’s older uncles, but his Mama is the one in charge of the clan, so it’s not like his uncle has any say whatsoever on who a child of the alpha happens to pick as their partner.

Keith nods and presses a quick kiss to the underside of Lance’s chin, which he knows is a spot full of meaning to weres. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Anything to get away from my annoying brother for a bit and spend time with you is good. Do you guys happen to have any churros that I could snack on?” 

An immortal blood sucker, and all Keith wants (when he’s not needing actual blood) is sugar. It’s adorable. “Even if we don’t, those are super easy to make. We can make some together.”

Moving them back towards the window, Keith grins. “Perfect. Let’s go, then, fluffball.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forbidden love is one of those tropes I feel has to be handled carefully or it gets very problematic very fast. But who doesn't love vampire Keith and werewolf Lance?


	18. Hurt/Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19: Hurt/Comfort  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 604  
> Tags: Hurt/comfort, brief mention of injury/stitches, taking care of each other, established relationship, post-caon-esque, dorks in love.  
> Summary: While Lance patches up Keith's physical injury after a surprise attack, Keith make sure that Lance doesn't mentally beat himself up too much about it.

Keith hisses as Lance finishes the last of the stitches in his arm. 

“Sorry, just gotta put the salve on this and wrap it up,” Lance murmurs, focusing on his work with the same dedication he gives when fighting.

“It’s okay.”

They had been surprised by a small group of loyalists to the former Galra empire while on a small outreach mission. It hadn’t been deemed important enough for the whole team to go, so they’d all split up to do their own missions as quickly as possible in this sector. And the mission itself had gone just fine. It was only after, when they were getting ready to leave, that the attack had happened.

It spoke wonders to their years of training and fighting together that the two of them hadn’t even needed any sort of verbal communication to subdue the loyalists, leaving them to the capable hands of the locals, with only a minor amount of casualties. One of which had been the one to slice through Keith’s arm. 

Lance frowns, taping the end of the bandage in place. It would have to be enough until they could reconvene with the castleship and get him into a pod. “It’s not okay. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

It had been a surprise to both of them, when one of the fighters had gotten close enough to break through Keith’s guard. Lance’s shot, as amazing as always, had prevented the fighter from doing any real damage to Keith, but as the fighter fell, their knife snagged on Keith’s arm, digging deep enough that Lance had insisted on stitches.

“Hey,” Keith said, turning to face Lance now that he’s done, reaching up with his uninjured arm to cup Lance’s cheek.. “It’s okay. It’s just a scratch and we both got out of there in one piece, all right?”

The blue paladin leans into the contact, huffing out a sigh. “You’re the one that got hurt. I’m the one supposed to be helping you.”

Keith chuckles softly. “And you took care of that. Now let me take care of you.” He bumps their foreheads together, much easier to do when they’re both sitting. “You did more than enough, love. I’m here, still in one piece with only a scratch thanks to you.” He'll keep repeating it as many times as it takes for Lance to believe him.

“But if I’d--”

“No buts. Today could have gone a hundred different ways, but we’re both here and safe and we’ll continue to watch each other’s backs, yeah?” Keith interrupts. He knows Lance is one to chase around all the what ifs in his head, but, all things considered, today went great. If the only thing they have to deal with after an ambush like that is one small cut, Keith will count that as a complete success. 

Lance presses a kiss to Keith’s forehead and Keith closes his eyes, letting that more than anything help settle the remaining adrenaline running through him. 

When the silence goes on for longer, Keith shifts to meet Lance’s gaze, glaring at the smirk he sees. “ _Lance…_ ”

“There is one butt, though.” And with that, he reaches down and gives Keith’s ass a squeeze. “A really great one, too.”

“Oh my god, why are you like this?” Keith groans.

Lance nuzzles against his cheek and Keith knows this is just his way of calming down and shaking off the lingering worry from before. “I dunno. Probably because I love you.”

The red paladin returns the contact, tilting his head to catch Lance’s lips briefly. “I love you, too, you dork.”


	19. Drunk Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20: Drunk Confessions  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 796  
> Tags: Post-canon-ish, tipsy boys, accidental outing to each other while tipsy, dorks in love, silly.  
> Summary: Lance and Keith are drinking and start talking celebrity crushes. And certain things come to light.

Time in space is weird. Well, everything in space is weird, to be honest, at least to Lance. The food is weird, the clothes are weird, the technology is beyond weird. But time is especially weird. 

They’ve been home a few times since the war ended, but still get called back out to help clean up the last bits of the former Galra empire clinging to the edges of space. They’ve just finished another one of those missions and are relaxing all in their own way.

And, now that they’re all old enough on any planet, this includes some drinking. Because sometimes a little aid in relaxing is just what people need.

But time is still weird. Or maybe war is weird. It all feels like so much happened in such a short amount of time and yet the first time they all flew in Blue into space feels like _eons_ ago.

These aren’t the thoughts that Lance wants to have when trying to relax, though, so he looks over at his drinking companion. Hunk and Pidge had gone off some time ago to mess with some tech (Lance is 90% sure something is going to blow up before the end of the night), and Shiro and Allura had turned in soon after they’d all been debriefed.

Which just left him and Keith. Keith, who is far too pretty for his own good and, despite all his flaws, just...a wonderful person. 

“Something on your mind?” Keith asks. 

Lance realizes he must have been staring rather oddly. He shakes his head for a second and then stops, not liking the feel of that. “No...I...ah…” What had he been thinking about? Pretty people? Oh, he knows plenty of those. “Have you seen the Star Wars movies?”

“I…” Keith pauses, frowning as if he’s struggling to remember. “Yeah, Pidge made me sit through all of them on one of our visits home.”

“Who was your favorite character?” Lance asks, sitting up straighter. 

Keith stares at his glass. “Rey, for the most part.”

Yeah, Lance can see that. They had a lot in common, after all. Orphan kid finding family in space. Lance’s thoughts don’t stay there long, though. “I had a crush on Harrison Ford when I was younger. Or, well, more the Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones than in Star Wars, but they were made around the same time. So why does he look better in one than the other?”

“Wa-wait, back up?” Keith interrupts, staring at him wide-eyed. “Harrison Ford?”

“Yeah, man, the dude was hot,” Lance continues with a giggle. “Though the newer movies outdid themselves making the cast pretty. Especially Finn and Poe.”

Keith nods along suddenly. “Oscar Isaac is very hot.”

“See, even the straight guy gets it!” Lance exclaims, taking another sip from his glass. “Though, it’s such a shame that the studios were such homophobes. Finn and Poe were totally made for each other.”

The sound of Keith almost choking on his drink makes Lance look over with some concern. “Dude?”

“What makes you think I’m straight?” Keith says after coughing for a second. 

“You aren’t?” Lance asks, confused as all get out. He feels like someone just turned off the artificial gravity. 

Keith shakes his head. Though, he, too, seems to think better of doing that after a moment. “I...I’m gay. I don’t know what would have given you the impression that I’m straight?”

Shrugging, Lance rolls his glass between his hands. “I dunno. I guess I stereotyped you a bit. My bad.”

“What about you?”

Lance can’t blame him for asking, given how he’d worded that sentence. He hadn’t meant to accidentally out himself like that, but not like he’d been hiding it very well talking about his celebrity crushes. “Blue, pink, and purple fruit loops over here.”

Keith frowns again, glaring down at the table as his eyes flick back and forth. Lance can’t help but burst into giggles at how adorable he looks.

“Bi, man. I’m bi,” he says, just to help the poor guy out.

“I knew that,” Keith counters immediately, pouting now.

Lance wants to bite that lower lip.

“What?”

“Shit, did not mean to say that out loud,” Lance says, about ready to get up and hide in his room for the next month. Phoeb. Something. (Time is so _weird_.)

“And if I want you to?” Keith asks suddenly. 

Eyes snapping up, he watches Keith carefully. That...is he serious? How did the conversation even end up here? “Are you sure?”

Keith finally grins and Lance feels a swoop in his stomach that has nothing to do with the booze. “I mean, I’m no Harrison Ford and I’ve never used a whip, but I know a thing or two about lassos.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame this one solely on Dee. They had way too much fun encouraging this. As well as Jay and Mars.
> 
> Also, I'm not sharing opinions either way on the quality of the movies, just putting in what I think Lance would say about the characters.


	20. Playing with Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21: Playing with Hair  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 515  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, soft as hell, boys in love, established relationship, non-sexual intimacy.   
> Summary: When Keith returns from a mission, Lance guides him to the shower to wash up and helps him clean his hair.

It’s become a bit of a routine for the two of them, a way to wind down before going to bed.

When Keith comes back from a long Marmora mission, Lance always pulls him into the shower first. He loves his boyfriend, but he does _not_ love smelling whatever it is he’s been through for however long he’s been gone. While Keith focuses on washing off his body, Lance focuses on his hair. It’s gotten longer as the years have gone by, falling more than halfway down his back, but it suits Keith.

It’s definitely no longer a mullet, at least.

He takes his time with it, too, making sure it’s completely wet before working shampoo through it completely. As he massages his fingers along Keith’s scalp to make sure all the dirt and grime from the mission is cleared away, he makes sure to check in a couple times to see if Keith is still awake. There have been more than a few times where Lance has done his job a little too well and put his boyfriend straight to sleep. 

After everything has been soaped properly, it’s rinsed and he repeats the process with the conditioner, this time focusing more on the ends instead of the roots. Despite how much Lance likes to tease Keith about his hair, the man had been blessed with wonderfully thick and beautiful hair. He just doesn’t know how to take care of it. 

To be fair, Lance loves doing this for him anyway, and he knows Keith loves when he does it, so it’s a win-win.

He rinses the conditioner out carefully, making sure there are no tangles along the way, before they turn off the water and dry off. Lance takes a separate towel to focus on getting the majority of the water out of Keith’s hair (the curse of it being so thick is it holds onto water like a sponge). 

They don’t bother with a hairdryer this late at night, as the sound of it ruins the quiet mood they have going. Instead, when Keith’s hair’s no longer dripping, Lance brushes it out, working out any knots from the ends before gradually working his way up to the roots until everything is completely smooth. Keith is always drooping by this point despite his best efforts to stay awake, so Lance carefully makes three plaits and braids them together, securing the end with a soft hair tie. 

Lance leaves Keith by the sink to brush his teeth and such while he hangs up their towels to dry and checks that everything else is in its proper place before they turn in for the night. That done, he guides Keith, whose eyes are more closed than open, to their bed, pulling the covers back.

As soon as he’s settled, Lance does one last round to be sure everything is shut down and locked up. He slips in behind Keith and gathers up his sleepy boyfriend, pressing a kiss to his crown before flipping the switch on the lamp. 

They’re both more than ready for sweet dreams.


	21. Pet Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 22: Pet Names  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 511  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, silly, dorks in love, pet names, set sometime loosely in canon.  
> Summary: It comes as no surprise to anyone that Lance loves using pet names for the person he’s dating. The first time Keith uses one, though, Lance drops his bayard in surprise.

It comes as no surprise to anyone that Lance loves using pet names for the person he’s dating. He uses all sorts of nicknames, after all, for friends and enemies alike. Even his family pet growing up had a multitude of nicknames that had nothing to do with its actual name. 

So when he and Keith start dating, the pet names follow pretty quickly. At first, Keith looked like he didn’t know whether to be embarrassed by them or not, but he warmed up to them eventually, especially the ones whispered between soft kisses. 

And it’s not like Keith didn’t have nicknames for Lance before they started dating, but it seemed to take him a moment to switch gears from teasing to affectionate. 

The first time he uses one, calling, “watch your back, babe!” during a round of training with just them, Lance drops his bayard in surprise. He would have been skewered straight through, too, if Keith hadn’t rushed in and sliced through the bot at the last minute. 

“Are you okay?” Keith asks, breathing harsh. He picks up Lance’s bayard and holds it out for him.

Taking the bayard seems to kickstart his brain again and Lance blushes profusely. “Yeah, yeah, hun, sorry about that.”

Keith tilts his head to watch him curiously. “Is there something wrong with me calling you that? I figured since you call me all sorts of things that it would be--”

“No, no, it’s totally fine,” Lance interrupts, shaking his head quickly. Maybe if he shakes it fast enough, the heat in his cheeks will go down. _Dios_ , how does he explain to Keith that it’s more than fine, that it’s...yeah, no. He’ll stick with ‘fine’ for now, that’s safer. He’s so, so very glad that it’s just the two of them training. He wouldn’t be able to handle Pidge’s laughter or Hunk’s teasing right now, let alone what the rest of the team would do or say. “I just wasn’t expecting it, is all.”

He’s pretty sure Keith sees right through him at this point, but what can he do? It’s not like he knew Keith using pet names on him would startle him so badly and make a whole flurry of butterflies erupt in his stomach. When the other people he’d dated in the past had used pet names, it certainly made him happy, but not like this. Is it because he hadn’t expected Keith to use them at all? 

“So, it’s okay, really?” Keith asks, watching him carefully at this point. He’s got that look in his eyes when he’s starting to figure something out.

Lance reaches out to ruffle his hair to get that knowing gaze off of him, ignoring the other’s noise of protest. “Yeah, it’s...more than okay.”

There’s that look again. Keith shakes his head with a grin and gives Lance’s shoulder a playful shove. “If it’s okay, then get back out there, _darling_.” 

Getting his bayard to form back into a weapon in one hand, he gives Keith a nudge back. “Right behind you, _cariño_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I just really like catching Lance off guard when he realizes just how affectionate Keith can be.
> 
> Also, I don't know yet if I'll get these all done today, though I'm going to try. I have outlines written for all of them, at least, just...need to see how fast I can get them all down.


	22. Ball/Formal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 23: Ball/Formal  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 670  
> Tags: High school AU, Prom, school dance, cute, fluff, sweet, dancing, smitten Keith, dorks in love.  
> Summary: Lance takes Keith to prom with their friends Hunk and Shay and they have a fun night of dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of [Chapter 10: Childhood Friends to Lovers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956213/chapters/58120450). I do recommend reading that one first for a little bit of context, but this should be fine as a stand-alone.

Lance’s mother takes a few dozen photos of them in their formal wear (neither of them in a skirt, but Lance’s jacket is more than distracting enough around shoulders that had broadened considerably during the last year) before Lance has to remind her that they have a reservation to keep.

Dinner is easy, being a double date with Hunk and Shay. Keith isn’t sure if the two of them would have been able to get around any awkward silences if it was just the two of them. Though, when he glances over at Lance, who’s laughing brightly at something Shay had just shared, maybe they would have been okay. They’ve been friends for most of their lives, after all. They know how to talk to each other. 

Of course, when the tab comes around, Lance takes it before Keith can even see the total. He’s about to argue that he can pay for this since Lance paid for their tickets and half their limo rental (Hunk had paid the other half), but Lance takes his hand and gives him a sweet smile, saying that this is all his treat and if Keith wants to pay for something, then he can plan the next date. 

Which, okay, that distracts Keith enough that their tab is taken care of without further fuss and they all make it back to the limo. Logically, Keith knew that Lance confessing to him didn’t mean that the feelings would fade, but, well, maybe part of him had wondered if this was only for the dance and they’d return to being friends afterwards. But to continue this afterwards--Keith has the distinct urge to go home and scream into his pillow.

The dance is already well underway when they arrive, music pouring out of the building and a stray balloon floating up into the night. They grab a table off to the side and Lance grabs them drinks, returning with water bottles and mentioning that the punch looks like it’s been tampered with already. While none of them would normally shy away from having a little fun loosening up, Iverson is one of the chaperones and they’d rather do as little as possible to draw his attention. 

When a slow song finally starts, Hunk leads a giggling Shay to the dance floor and they begin swaying together. Keith looks over to find Lance watching him expectantly. 

“Do you want to dance?” he asks softly, earnest, but Keith knows he won’t push if Keith doesn’t want to. 

Keith stands and holds out his hand for Lance. “You can’t complain if I accidentally step on your toes, though.”

Lance laughs and pulls Keith over to where their friends are. He brings up Keith’s hands to rest on his shoulders before placing his own at Keith’s waist and begins to guide them in a slow circle to the song’s rhythm. 

It’s heart-pounding, but wonderful, and Keith pulls Lance closer so he can rest his head on those distracting shoulders, pretending for a moment that it’s only the two of them in the room.

When the song ends and a more upbeat one begins, Lance presses a quick kiss to Keith’s cheek before cutting in on their friends and stealing Hunk for a dance. Keith joins Shay off to the side as they laugh and clap along with their antics, some of their other classmates joining in as well. When the next song starts, Lance grabs Shay instead and leads her around beautifully, her skirt twirling around like water. Hunk pulls Keith in to join him and he’s surprised that the big guy is surprisingly light on his feet, spinning Keith around with ease.

By the time he’s back with Lance, he’s breathless with laughter, unable to stop smiling. He blinks when Lance leans down and kisses his nose. “What was that for?”

“Nothing,” Lance replies, looking at Keith like...well, like _something_. “You’re beautiful.”

Keith pulls him into a kiss before he can say any more and make his heart explode.


	23. Heroic Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 24: Heroic Rescue  
> Rating: Teen  
> Word Count: 994  
> Tags: Flirting, established relationship, some very minor angst, worried Lance, Lance leading, rescue mission, set somewhere canon-ish, no paladins were hurt in the making of this fic.  
> Summary: Lance had had his doubts from the beginning about Keith going on this mission alone, but he’d only agreed because his boyfriend insisted he’d be fine. That was vargas ago.

Lance is going to give Keith an earful later, after he’s safe back in the castleship and thoroughly checked over by Coran. He’d had his doubts from the beginning about Keith going on this mission alone, infiltrating a Galra ship for intel, but he’d only agreed because his boyfriend insisted he’d be fine.

That was vargas ago. Keith stopped checking in about halfway through, even though they’d agreed on him doing so every quarter varga. If something has happened to him and Lance hadn’t been there--

Right. 

Focus.

Pidge pulls the schematics of the ship up and his eyes scan it quickly. 

“If they’ve got him captured, he’s likely being held here,” Pidge says, zooming in on one area near the base of the ship. 

Nodding, Lance gestures for her to zoom back out. “So we’ll want to enter around here, then. We’ll take Green, we need all the cover we can get. The pod Keith used isn’t worth grabbing and he already got the data we needed sent back. Pidge, if you can hack into this console, you should be able to unlock the cell Keith’s in when I find it, right?”

“Of course.”

“Hunk and Allura, can you two create a diversion down this hallway? We don’t know what state Keith is in and we might need a little extra time to get him out.”

Hunk grins at his best friend, posture becoming more confident as Lance talks. “You got it, man.” 

“Shiro, are you okay being the eyes up here to keep us coordinated? And, Coran, as soon as we get back, we need to be ready to run and to get Keith in a pod if needed.” Lance knows asking Shiro to stay back is a risk, as he’s usually the one in charge and that’s also his little brother down there, but Shiro’s been encouraging them to speak up more, so he’s hopeful.

Thankfully Shiro nods. “You got this, Lance.”

“And we’ll be ready here for your swift return, number three.”

Things move quickly after that, four of them climbing into Green and holding their breaths as they secure themselves to the side of the Galra ship. From there, Pidge connects to the first terminal they find and gets to work. 

“Don’t go too far, you two,” Lance whispers over the comms. “If Pidge needs backup, cover her first.”

Hunk gives him a salute before he and Allura duck around the next corner.

“There’s a few cells occupied down there, no telling from here which is which,” Pidge murmurs as Lance makes his way down to the holding area. 

“Do we have time to get anyone else if needed?” Lance asks, peeking around a corner and waiting for the sentry to pass before moving on. There’s a sound of an explosion that carries through the comms and then through the ship itself. “What was that?”

“All good, just the distraction,” Allura says, sounding like she’s having fun. Lance shakes his head and keeps his position as the remaining sentries in the area run off in the direction of the commotion.

“Lance, this ship is likely carrying fauna from various planets rather than people in those cells, think livestock. Better to just stick to getting Keith and getting out,” Shiro cuts in. Lance is thankful for that. He really just wants to get Keith to safety.

The hallway clears and Lance gives it another tic before continuing on his way. He actually finds Keith’s helmet and bayard first, which he grabs, and then carefully peaks into each cell window as he goes. Finally, about halfway down, he finds a familiar mop of dark hair.

“Oh, there you are, fearless leader,” he quips, taking a step back to check the door number and relay it to Pidge. 

Keith is standing there as soon as it opens. “Lance.”

Pulling Keith into a quick hug, Lance feels something in him relaxing as Keith returns it. “C’mon, we gotta get out of here quick. Green isn’t far. You can run okay?”

“Yeah,” Keith replies, pulling on his helmet and taking his bayard. “The hospitality here sucks anyway.” Oh, he’s definitely okay. And he totally stole that from Lance.

“What, no hot breakfast in the morning? For shame.”

“Would you two stop flirting and just get over here,” Pidge hisses. 

Lance grins as they make their way back, checking every intersection, but it looks like the distraction is still working well. “It’s called multitasking, Pidge. We’ll be right there.”

Once they’re safely inside Green with Pidge, they call for Allura and Hunk to join them. There’s a larger explosion that actually rocks the ship, before the last two make it on board. Going by their grinning faces and the smudges of soot on their armor, Lance feels it’s just better not to ask.

“Thanks for coming to get me,” Keith murmurs.

Hunk gives him a quick hug. “Of course, man. We’d never let them take you away from us. Though, if you wanna thank someone, you should thank Lance for coming up with our rescue plan.”

Keith looks over at Lance with a slight smile and a twinkle of what looks like pride in his eyes. “Thanks, Lance.”

“Anytime, _cariño_.”

Afterwards, when Coran gives Keith the all clear and they’re safely away from the Galra cruiser, Lance feels his anger surface again as he follows his boyfriend back to their room. But as soon as the door shuts behind them, he sees how Keith’s face falls, shoulders hunch up, and his anger and frustration quickly fade. Keith’s already beating himself up more than Lance ever could. 

He pulls Keith close and rests their foreheads together, just letting it sink in that Keith is alive and safe and back with them. There’s so much they need to talk about with this, but it can wait until later. “Next time, you’re not going without someone watching your back, okay?”

Keith nods, wrapping his arms around Lance. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance is a brilliant strategist and you can't change my mind.


	24. Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25: Fluff  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 624  
> Tags: fluff, cute, sweet, cats, mermaid!Keith, mermyd!Keith, human!Lance, established relationship, tooth-rotting sweet.  
> Summary: Lance is a little nervous about Keith and Celeste, his cat, meeting for the first time, mainly because Keith happens to be half fish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly surprised that only one of these tropes ended up with Keith as a mermyd in it...

“Okay, so you’re gonna meet someone today and I want you to be nice, got it? He’s very important to me,” Lance tells Celeste and he scratches behind her ears. She starts purring in response so he takes that as understanding. “No clawing or hissing at him and _absolutely_ no taking a bite out of him.”

It feels weird to even say that out loud. Celeste is a pretty easy-going cat overall, though she still hasn’t forgiven his nephew for the one time he’d accidentally stepped on her tail, but this is a pretty unusual situation. Given that the person he wants her to meet is, well, half _fish_ , and she happens to love snacking on tuna. 

Celeste follows him happily around the cabin of the boat and then up on deck. She sits still long enough for Lance to snap her little life jacket on and then wanders off, sniffing around corners and along pathways to make sure no unwanted creatures have made their way on board during the night. 

With a smile, Lance unties the ropes from the dock and checks that everything is all clear before starting the engine and slowly making his way out of the harbor and onto the open water. It’s a short drive down the coast to the area he and Keith have been meeting up, an area with enough rocks to hide them well enough from prying eyes and still be safe enough for Lance to anchor. Celeste starts winding through his legs and he cuts the engine. 

“Yes, I know you’re a pretty girl. Now let’s go see if my friend is here.”

There’s a small disturbance of water and a mermyd reaches up to cross his arms on the edge of the boat. “Only a friend?” Keith asks with a pout.

Lance smiles, sitting down by Keith and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Boyfriend, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He pulls a towel out of a nearby chest and hands it to Keth to dry off a little, knowing Celeste won’t appreciate wet hands. 

Speaking of the cat, she’s standing a few feet away, watching them both curiously. “C’mon, pretty girl. Come meet Keith.”

She sniffs the air a few times, slowly coming closer until she’s against Lance’s side, peeking around him to look at Keith. 

When Lance glances over at Keith to see how he’s doing, he’s amused to find the mermyd has completely lit up, eyes wide and a smile spreading across his face. 

“You said she likes being pet?”

Lance makes a sound of agreement and scritches lightly along Celeste’s shoulder blades to help her relax and encourage her to come closer to the mermyd. “Just remember to be careful of your claws, yeah? You can hurt her a lot more easily than you can hurt me.”

Keith nods and holds his hand out like Lance had instructed him to before for her to sniff. She does so along his fingertips and his smile widens. “That _tickles_.”

As soon as she’s satisfied with what she’s smelled, Celeste ducks her head and butts it against Keith’s hand.

“Okay, you’re welcome to pet her now,” Lance says, surprised and pleased that Celeste is being so friendly. 

Keith lightly rubs his hand down the cat’s head and back, making a sound of delight when she arches into it and then turns and demands more. “She’s so soft and fluffy,” he murmurs, enraptured.

Chuckling, Lance takes a moment to show Keith where she likes to be pet the most, scratches behind her ears and chin, and especially the one spot on her lower back. Before too long, she flops over on her belly, demanding even more attention, which Keith is all too happy to give her.


	25. Sharing Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 26: Sharing Clothes  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 688  
> Tags: Fluff, cute, sweet, pining boys, oblivious boys, canon compliant, Lance's infamous jacket.  
> Summary: The first time Keith wears Lance’s jacket, it’s because Lance gives it to him. The second time he sees Keith in his jacket, Keith is lounging in the common room when Lance spots him. The third time, well, that's always the charm.

The first time Keith wears Lance’s jacket, it’s because Lance gives it to him. The planet they’re on is a little on the chilly side and Lance knows his longer sleeves will do a better job to keep him warm than Keith’s T-shirt (he must have left his jacket on the castleship). When he sees the red paladin shiver, he slips it off and drops it around Keith’s shoulders without thinking much about it. 

Keith looks up at him, visibly (adorably) confused, and Lance feels his heart clench. He gives Keith a small smile in lieu of a response and turns back to the meeting, hoping he’ll at least be able to take in half of it.

*~*~*~*

If he had paid attention to Keith longer instead, he would have seen the blush that slowly crept up his pale face.

*~*~*~*

The second time Lance sees Keith in his jacket, Keith is lounging in the main common room with the others when Lance comes to join them. Hunk catches his eye first, giving him a grin and thumbs up, and he wonders what’s going on until he sees Keith. Who is blatantly wearing his jacket as if it’s no big deal at all, sleeves covering the majority of his hands like the cutest thing ever. 

Lance bites his tongue to keep from making a sound at just how cute the sight is and walks right back out, unable to handle this at all. 

*~*~*~*

His jacket is neatly folded outside his door later that evening and he’s not sure how to feel about that at all.

*~*~*~*

The third time is more Lance testing something for his own peace of mind. What is it in particular that Lance likes so much about seeing Keith wear his jacket? And what did it mean when Keith wore it of his own choice? And did him giving it back have to do with the fact that Lance just walked away last time he saw Keith wearing it?

The team is in the main common room again, having a night of games and movies to help release the tension from their everyday lives. They keep playing movies until they all start dropping off to sleep. 

As always, Keith is one of the first to drop off, curling up in a corner of the couch as if trying to make himself as small as possible. As the others gradually either fall asleep around the room or leave for their rooms, Lance works up the nerve to drape his jacket over Keith, not wanting him to get cold if he stays out here. 

The way Keith curls up more under it, one hand gripping the edge as if someone would try to take it away, sends Lance’s heart racing and gives him answers to the majority of his questions. He still doesn’t know Keith’s side of things, but he’s figured out his own. However, his bravery only lasts so long and he heads back to his own room before Keith can wake up, not sure if he’s ready just yet to hear the other side of things.

*~*~*~*

Keith confronts him the next morning, before he has a chance to make it to the kitchen for breakfast. 

“What do you mean with this?” he asks, holding Lance’s jacket with more care than Lance has seen him use with his own clothing. “Why do you keep giving this to me?”

Flushing, Lance stumbles verbally for a moment, not sure what to say. How honest should he be? “I..you...it doesn’t...have to mean anything if you don’t want it to…” he finally gets out, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I just didn’t want you to get cold.”

“And if I want it to mean something?” Keith replies.

Lance’s eyes snap up and find Keith staring him down, as if daring him to try to take it back. He smiles slightly, still pink. “Then it can mean something.”

Keith offers the coat back with a matching smile.

“You can keep it. I don’t mind.”

“No,” Keith says, shaking his head. “It’s only good if it smells like you.”


	26. Woke up Married

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 27: Woke up Married  
> Rating: Teen  
> Word Count: 815  
> Tags: Established relationship, dorks in love, woke up married, handfasting, sweet, soft.  
> Summary: After a party last night that Keith barely remembers, he wakes up in a bed next to Lance, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence anymore. But what’s strange is that his right hand and Lance’s left are tied together with what looks like a dozen odd ribbons in very intricate knots. 

After a party last night that Keith barely remembers, he wakes up in a bed next to Lance, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence anymore. But what’s strange is that his right hand and Lance’s left are tied together with what looks like a dozen odd ribbons in very intricate knots. 

He tries to subtly pull his hand away, but the ribbons hold fast, woven up past their wrists even. The movement is enough to wake Lance, who tries to lift his arm to stretch and pulls Keith’s hand right along with it. Lance blinks a few times in confusion, not quite awake enough to process.

“Do you remember much of what happened last night?” Keith asks, hoping that will help jog a memory.

Lance frowns and shakes his head. “Everything’s kinda fuzzy after that drink they started passing around.”

That’s what Keith had been afraid of. Thankfully, they must have been too out of it and too, well, tied up, to bother removing any clothes last night, as they’re still fully dressed. They take care of what they can to look presentable again and step out to find the rest of the team. 

They find them gathered around the dining table with a few of the locals that had hosted the party, the pair’s entrance causing an excited murmur among them. One of them stands and approaches them before they can even say hello.

“If I may, were the ribbons this secure when you woke up this morning?”

Lance lifts their hands, showing off the weave of ribbons. “Yeah, we, uh, we’re not sure how to get them off or anything. They didn’t want to budge when Keith tried to pull his hand out.”

The murmur grows in volume and Keith frowns. What are they all talking about? What’s so exciting about having their hands tied like this? It made trying to use the toilet earlier a real pain. 

The local before them bows. “I wish to congratulate you on your most blessed union.”

“Pardon?” Lance says as Keith stiffens beside him. Were their translators off? That didn’t mean what--

Allura stands then and ushers the two paladins off to the side. “If you’ll please excuse us for a moment.” As soon as they’re out of earshot, she turns to face them. “You two did happen to get married last night, yes. I’m afraid we were all a little too inebriated to notice. However, I did ask them to explain everything while we were waiting for you to join us. It is up to you both. You can...annul the marriage if you undo the knots without cutting the ribbons, which will then be burned in offering to the local deity. Or they can help you slide off the ribbons to keep as a symbol of your union.”

Keith looks over at Lance, who’s staring at the ground, lost in thought. 

“Can you give us a little bit of time, Princess?” Lance requests, finally looking up to meet Keith’s eyes.

“Of course,” she responds, going back to join the others. 

Marriage. That...that’s big, right? It feels big. But at the same time to Keith it feels right. They’ve only been dating for maybe half a year (decaphoeb?) at this point, but Keith knows that Lance is it for him. He doesn’t know if Lance feels the same way, whether that means he’s not ready for this or not wanting to marry Keith at all, but it doesn’t matter. Lance’s happiness means everything to him.

“Hey, if you don’t...if you want to get this all annulled or whatever, that’s okay, Lance. I don’t mind waiting until you’re ready for marriage or even if you’re never ready. I just...I don’t want this to be something you regret.”

“And you won’t? Regret it, I mean, if we stay married?”

Keith shakes his head, face flushing. “No...I...I want this kind of forever for us, but if you don’t, then that’s okay. I would never force you to stay with me.” Even if it would absolutely break his heart to watch Lance leave. 

“You’re an idiot. All I’ve ever wanted was to be near you. You challenge me to do better without even trying. I like being able to support you and ground you when you need it, how you help me when I’m at my lowest. I love you so much that it scares me sometimes. And I never want to leave you.”

“Careful, sharpshooter, that almost sounds like a marriage vow,” Keith murmurs, heart racing.

Lance looks at him with a bashful smile. “Maybe it is.”

Much to their team’s surprise and the locals’ delight, they ask for help in removing the ribbons without untying them. With a little instruction, their hands are freed and the ribbons are pinned into a shadowbox type frame for them to take home. 

It becomes one of their most prized possessions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a note, I'm not taking the time to double check my writing on these last few chapters just yet. If there are any mistakes, I'll do my best to catch and update them over the next day or so.


	27. Nightmares/Cuddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 28: Nightmares/Cuddling  
> Rating: Teen (for language)  
> Word Count: 517  
> Tags: Hurt/comfort, mentions of nightmares, soft, sweet, cuddling, Lance taking care of Keith.  
> Summary: Even years after the fights have ended, things still like to sneak up on them in the night. Lance takes care of Keith after a bad nightmare.

Even years after the fights have ended, things still like to sneak up on them in the night. If it’s Lance’s nightmares, Keith often will notice before Lance does, being such a light sleeper. If he can, he’ll help pull Lance out of it as gently as possible, wiping away the tears that won’t stop no matter how hard Lance tries.

When it’s a bad night for Keith, though, it’ll sometimes take a moment for Lance to realize something’s off and to wake up enough to notice that Keith is sitting on the edge of their bed, holding his head in his arms as he folds over his thighs. 

Giving his head a shake to clear it, he calls out softly to let Keith know he’s there before making contact, not wanting to risk triggering a fight response again. Keith twitches under his hand, but otherwise doesn’t move, and that’s enough to let Lance know that it’s safe to approach.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Keith shakes his head immediately. Okay, then. There’s only one nightmare that gets him like this that he won’t talk about. Their own fucked up version of the clone wars. 

Lance curls around Keith carefully, rubbing his hands along every part of him he can reach and slowly encouraging Keith to loosen up, nuzzling the back of his neck and pressing a few kisses there until Keith finally relaxes. 

“You with me, baby?”

Keith hums.

He slowly scoots away from the edge of the bed, encouraging Keith back along with him until he’s against the headboard, Keith sitting in his lap. Lance does his best to surround him and help pull his mind away from the terror and horrible memories. When he feels Keith nuzzle back, he grabs the glass of water from their nightstand and hands it to Keith, who drains it in moments, before placing it back on the nightstand.

There’s a little shifting until Keith is curled up sideways against him, head tucked under Lance’s chin. Lance holds him as close as he can, one hand carding through Keith’s hair, doing everything he can to help his husband stay in the moment. He starts humming initially, before it turns into soft singing of a lullaby from his childhood. He knows Keith will understand maybe half of the words, but the melody and the meaning more than carry through to him, Lance hopes. 

It takes some time, but when he feels Keith’s breath even out against his collarbone, he double checks that Keith is properly asleep. The tension in his brows has finally relaxed and Lance smiles sadly, wishing he could do more to prevent the nightmares from happening. He slowly shifts them around, not wanting to risk waking Keith, until they’re lying back down. Still keeping the smaller man wrapped up close, Lance presses one last kiss to Keith’s forehead, letting Keith’s soft breathing and steady heartbeat pull him back under.

If Keith is still off in the morning, they’ll give Shiro a call to help chase away the last of the nightmare’s grip. For now, they’ll sleep.


	28. Battle Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 29: Battle Partners  
> Rating: Gen  
> Word Count: 550  
> Tags: Video games, almost the whole gang, silly, sweet, domestic, established relationship.  
> Summary: It’s been months since Keith joined their team officially and, though it’s probably cliched to say, a lot has changed, all for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a direct continuation of [Chapter 2 - Enemies to Lovers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956213/chapters/57694849), if you want to read that for more context.

“Nice shot, Lance,” Keith says, both from in front of him and through his headset. 

Lance grins, checking on Keith’s location on the lower screen before darting back up to his own, making sure to cover his team. It’s been months since Keith joined their team officially and, though it’s probably cliched to say, a lot has changed. For one, Keith and Lance have found their own place together, an apartment big enough for the two of them and their two cats, insulated enough that they don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors when they’re up late gaming. 

Their setup for gaming is a little unconventional, though, and not one they plan on having long term, but it works for right now. They have two screens set up, one on a short stand and the other mounted to the wall. Keith plays on the lower screen and likes to sit on a pillow on the floor, between Lance’s legs while the taller man sits on the couch. Depending on the intensity of their matches, Lance will either lean back on the couch or rest his arms on Keith’s shoulders, his controller just in front of Keith’s chest. 

It’s definitely not good for either of their backs in the long run, but they like it. It lets them stay close and watch both screens so that they can keep better track of each other. While they’re both wearing headsets, only Keith’s microphone is on, to prevent any sort of feedback loop in their friends’ ears. 

They’ve even collected two more people to be the last permanent members of their team, meaning they no longer have to worry about randomly assigned party members when they’re going through matches. (Though, not like Lance can complain, since he wouldn’t have gotten together with Keith otherwise.) Allura and Romelle were initially friends of Keith’s but they’ve fit in so seamlessly with the rest of the group, it’s like they’ve always been together. 

Though, admittedly, Lance enjoys it the most when the two new ladies gang up together to flirt with Hunk. He’s never heard the big guy so flustered, even if he deserves all the attention he’s getting, in Lance’s opinion. He presses a quick kiss to Keith’s temple to hide his smile as he hears Hunk whine over the headset again. 

When the match finishes, with another solid victory for team Voltron (Lance still doesn’t understand where that came from, but that was the name Pidge and Hunk had created before he’d joined them, so he went with it), Pidge starts excitedly talking about a tournament coming up they could still enter into. Everyone voices approval and she says she’ll send the info around in the group chat later. 

They sign off for the evening and take some time to stretch, working out all the kinks formed from sitting in one place for so long.

“So you’re definitely up for the tournament, then, _Lindo_?” Lance asks. He’s personally fine either way, just happy to have something he and his friends all love and can connect over, even if his competitive side is itching to see just how far they can make it.

Keith stands on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss. “As long as you have my back, sharpshooter, we can’t lose.”


	29. True Love's Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30: True Love's Kiss  
> Rating: Teen  
> Word Count: 905  
> Tags: angst, angst with a happy ending, Keith is bad at feelings, snow white -esque story, true love.  
> Summary: Keith can’t believe Lance could be so stupid. Well, wait, scratch that. He _can_ believe it, he just doesn’t _want_ to. Because believing means accepting that Lance is in a coma that he might not wake up from, all caused by some random alien fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got a little more angsty than I had initially intended, but please keep in mind that I will always write happy endings.

Keith can’t believe Lance could be so stupid. Well, wait, scratch that. He _can_ believe it, he just doesn’t _want_ to. 

Because believing means accepting that Lance is in a coma that he might not wake up from, all caused by some random alien fruit.

When they’d first arrived, they’d been almost blinded by how bright everything on the planet was, as if some creator had turned up the color saturation and gotten it stuck. Lance had made a joke about wearing sunglasses at night and Keith had to bite back a snort.

Lance hadn’t been far off, though. Even after the planet’s sun had set, everything stayed bright, most of the local flora glowing. Pidge and Lance were poking around in the royal gardens, wondering at all the fruit there. If Hunk had been with them and not on a separate mission with Shiro and Coran, maybe he could have been the voice of reason and they would have avoided this whole mess.

But he wasn’t, and while Pidge’s scans didn’t show anything poisonous to humans about the fruit, there was an odd reading of something she couldn’t place.

That should have been warning enough.

Instead, Lance picked one of the small fruits, no bigger than a raspberry on Earth, but glowing, and figured they wouldn’t know unless they tried it. 

Keith should have stopped him.

It all happened too quickly after that. Lance had seemed fine at first, but then had suddenly gone ashen. Keith barely had time to jump forward and catch Lance’s head before it cracked open on the garden walkway. 

Pidge had panicked and immediately called Allura, who brought with her the local queen and horrible news. Lance wouldn’t wake up without, in simplified English, a kiss from someone who truly loves him. One thing on their side was that it didn’t have to be one’s soulmate or anything, it could be family or a very close friend, so Keith will give it that, even if something like this shouldn’t happen in real life. Stuff like this belonged in fairy tales!

Why did they even have this fruit just out in the open if it was so dangerous, though! The queen at least looked ashamed when she’d said that they cultivate it to quietly end wars and all the neighboring planets know not to touch it. It was her oversight to not inform them. Not like her apologies could fix the issue.

Keith, trying to keep himself from attacking the ruler of their current host planet, had turned to Allura, who shook her head. She wouldn’t be the right one to break this. Pidge didn’t even try to say anything, just shook her head while looking increasingly worried. 

And Keith...he was scared, more than anything. While he could admit to himself that he’s been growing increasingly fond of the blue paladin, he didn’t know if it would be enough. And he didn’t want to face the disappointment if it wasn’t.

They pack up quickly, getting Lance on a floating cot and back to the castleship to find Hunk and the others as soon as possible. Of anyone on their team, he’s their best shot to break this stupid curse. 

Which brings him to the present, the castle rushing through space while Pidge tries to boost their comms enough to reach Hunk. Keith stays by Lance’s side, feeling like someone needs to and not knowing what else he can do to help. He holds Lance’s limp hand in both of his own.

He can’t take much more of this. It’s just...wrong, seeing Lance, someone constantly full of life and movement, look like this.

With no one else around, maybe he can give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then no one will know but him. And if it does, well, they’ll have Lance back.

“Please wake up, Lance,” he whispers. Keith takes a deep breath and leans forward, gently kissing the other’s cheek. 

He pulls away, feeling disappointment rise in his throat, but then Lance’s hand twitches before the rest of his body jerks, rolling to the side and coughing as if he’d been denied air for a very long time. 

“Lance!” Keith exclaims, rubbing his back to help him through the coughing. He helps Lance sit up slowly when the fit passes and grabs a water pouch, hands shaking almost too much to get the straw in place. 

Pidge must have heard him shout as she comes running in a moment later, sees Lance sitting up, and lets out her own shout before running to tell Allura the good news. Both girls are beside themselves with relief, but they leave soon after. Keith doesn’t realize why until he sees the expression on Lance’s face and feels the need to bolt himself.

Lance reaches out to take his hand before he can, though, and Keith startles at how warm his hand is in comparison to less than a varga ago. 

When he finds out that Lance could still hear everything around him while in a coma, Keith has to fight the urge again to bolt, but that blue gaze keeps him rooted to the spot. 

“And...I don’t know what kind of love it is you feel for me, but…”

“Not friendship,” Keith mutters, squeezing Lance’s hand reflexively.

The blue paladin chuckles, cheeks turning red. “I had hoped so.”

Keith can’t stop his own slight smile at that.


	30. Free Choice - Reverse Galtean/Arranged Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30: Free Choice - Reverse Galtean/Arranged Marriage  
> Rating: Teen  
> Word Count: 1076  
> Tags: mild angst, pining Keith, pining Lance, dorks in love, sweet, soft, arranged marriage, Alean Keith and Galra Lance, characters in their early twenties.  
> Summary: Keith and Lance have been betrothed since they were children. While Keith may be in love with Lance, he feels certain that Lance doesn't feel the same, and so makes the decision to call everything off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this one being a little late. I knew what I wanted to write last weekend, but I needed to let it sit to get it out. This probably has a lot of the elements from other tropes in this set, but that's okay. Just shows some of the ones I enjoy most.

Keith frowns as he stares at the letter that just arrived. It’s a formal statement that Lance is nearly done with his apprenticeship under Coran. 

Which means their betrothal will finally turn into an official engagement, the wedding not far behind.

It’s not that he’s against his marriage to the Galra noble, far from it really. And they’ve known about this for as long as they can remember, the betrothal being set up not long after Lance was born. The Galra and Alteans had been looking for a way to solidify the bond between their people and their moms had gotten on well enough that they decided their children would be the ones for it. 

He doesn’t resent his mother for deciding that. If nothing else, he inherited her love for their people and her wish to do everything in her power to protect them. 

And he has nothing against Lance personally, either. It is true that they hadn’t exactly gotten along as children when they were first introduced, but once they got past that, they became very good friends, usually to the distress of the staff around them. After that, though…

After that, as they got older, he started...noticing more. It was hard not to, with how Lance suddenly shot up a head taller than Keith between two of their visits to see one another. How, as they’d both matured, Lance’s shoulders grew broader and his stance more confident. Keith had grown as well, of course, but as an Altean, he’d never reach the height of a Galra without shape-shifting. (Which he had once, and Lance had adorably squawked about how he was cheating.)

Could anyone honestly fault him for appreciating the handsome person his future spouse is growing to be? 

No, the real issue isn’t any of that, but of his own feelings towards Lance. He knows without a doubt that he cares deeply for the Galra noble. But because he knows that...he needs to end this.

Since they were children, he’s known how much Lance has loved the idea of love, of finding the perfect person for himself like his parents had. They’d both wanted that, actually, but Keith had kept his desires for it more secret, turning to the romance novels he’d stashed around his room to give him an escape into the fantasy of marrying for love. 

He had never expected more than friendship from this arrangement, and could never ask Lance for more than he could give, but how could he enter into a marriage with the person he loves most knowing that they don’t feel the same, knowing that while he may be able to marry for love, he’s stripping that same desire away from his betrothed?

Because he knows Lance loves someone. He can tell because Keith acts the same way in regards to Lance. He is not interested in finding out who, though, knowing he’d spend hours comparing himself to the other person and it wouldn’t be fair for any of them.

Sending a note to Lance by way of one of the passing staff, he asks that Lance meet him in their garden when his work is done for the day.

It’s not their garden, just a secluded area of the gardens they have found the best for having discussions in, away from prying ears, but they’ve claimed the spot as theirs and no one has contested them on it. 

Keith arrives earlier than he knows Lance will, unable to sit still in his room any longer. He enjoys the fragrant flowers around him as he tries to take his mind off the difficult conversation to be had. 

Lance arrives just after sunset, as Keith had expected. Even so, Keith jerks towards the sound of footsteps in case it is anyone else approaching. 

“It’s not often you send me a summons, Keith. Everything all right?” Lance asks, sounding concerned.

Taking a seat on the bench in the center of the space, he gestures for Lance to join him. “I was hoping we could talk a little.”

Lance joins him, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them without making Keith feel he doesn’t want to be there at all. “Yeah, what about?”

He inhales slowly before letting it out in a rush. “I think it’s best if we call off our betrothal.”

“What?” Lance responds, pulling back sharply, eyes narrowed.

Of all the reactions he’d been expecting, anger hadn’t been one of them. He’d been expecting relief above all else. “I will take full responsibility for it, of course. There’s no need to ruin both our reputations with rumors.” His mother would be disappointed, but surely she’d understand. 

“Keith, why are you bringing this up now? If you had an issue with this, why didn’t you say something sooner?” Lance asks, hesitantly reaching out to him, but not making contact.

He shakes his head quickly. “No, I’ve never had an issue with this. I...I just...I know you care for someone, Lance. And that’s okay. But I can’t tie you to me when I care so much for you and only want you to be happy. And if I can’t give you that, then...then…” 

He should be strong enough for this. Lance’s happiness is the most important thing to him.

“You’re an idiot. A self-sacrificing idiot at that,” Lance cuts in, startling Keith out of rambles and he looks up at Lance with shock. “How are you so certain that the person I care about most isn’t you?”

Keith glares at him, face flushing hot. “Don’t you _dare_ mock my feelings.”

“I’m not, I swear,” Lance murmurs soothingly, smiling at Keith in a way that softens his eyes and makes Keith’s heart skip a beat. “But I can’t believe you noticed that much and not who I care for. Though I suppose I shouldn’t talk. I didn’t dare hope that you could return my affections.”

Glare fading, Keith can’t bite back his snort in time. “You’ve been spending far too much time with Coran.”

“Well, I have been apprenticing under him for the last five decaphoebes.” Ever so carefully, Lance reaches out with his slightly larger hand and places it over Keith’s on the bench. “So no more talk of calling this off, okay?”

Keith feels like his face is redder than it’s ever been in his life as he turns his hand around under Lance’s and laces their fingers together. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of it. I hope everyone enjoyed at least some of these chapters.
> 
> I had a lot of fun with this whole set. I'll see about doing another one with another trope/AU/theme set at some point in the future.


End file.
